Family Night

We had a family night last night where we all sat around and chatted. Here's a few pictures, interspersed between facts that I have recently discovered:

1. Forrest Mars and Bruce Murrie invented M&Ms. The two Ms stand for their last names.

2. Only female mosquitos bite. The males go for flower nectar instead.

3. Wayne Allwine, the voice actor for Mickey Mouse, and Russi Taylor, the voice actress for Minnie Mouse, wed in 1991.

4. Elephants can’t jump. They’re simply too heavy.

5. The sentence “the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog” uses every letter in the English language.

6. Bug spray doesn’t repel mosquitoes; it masks your body odor with a new scent that female mosquitoes dislike. Contrary to what you might be thinking, it’s not Axe Body Spray. That only repels female humans.

7. In a process called triboluminescence, Wint-O-Green Lifesavers give off little sparks when they are eaten in the dark.

8. China owns every panda in the world.

9. When flipped upside-down, sharks enter a state of tonic immobility, rendering them unable to move for 15 minutes.

10. If you leave a jellyfish in the sun for too long, it will evaporate.

11. For over a month in 1988, temperatures in NYC exceeded 90 degrees every day, increasing the murder rate by 75%.

12. George Washington was a redhead. So was Lucille Ball, but you already knew that.

13. Nolan Bushnell, the founder of Atari, also founded Chuck E. Cheese.

During our family night, we all sat around chatting, playing on our phones and listening to Joel play the piano. Joel is currently at college, but he called and we made him a part of our family evening too.

This little girl wasn't there for family night last night, but I got this picture last night and it was so stinkin' cute, I had to share.

So did you know any of these random facts?

Happy Thoughts Thursday

So you've made it through half the week, but it's still not Friday yet. Sometimes by Thursday you need a little lift to make it to the weekend.

Our solution? Happy Thought Thursday. On Tuesdays you can drop a pet peeve or an irritation. On Thursdays, give us a praise, a thankfulness, or something that just makes you happy. Your contributions on Thursday can be deep and spiritual, such as thankfulness for your salvation, or as shallow as a cup of coffee or a good hair day.  Here are our happy thoughts for this week:

Stephanie: my hubby mopped the whole house while I was running errands! 
                   
Kylee: school has officially started

Jill:  sunshine!

 what about you? What makes you happy today?

Kindergarten Round- Up

It seems like just yesterday this beautiful baby girl came into our lives and we were learning to be parents. Then, BOOM -- She is five and starting Kindergarten. 

What I didn't realize was just how fast those five years would go, I mean she's not a baby anymore.

Just the other day I was walking her to Sunday school and she was a few steps ahead of me and she turned around to me and said, "It's okay mom, I can do it by myself."  I wanted to cry right there in the hallway. I fought back my tears as I told my husband what she had said. Mocking me with fake tears he said, "Oh, no she's leaving for college and it's just so sad."  My sadness ended quickly as I realized we were standing by two mom's who were taking their kids to college that day and were actually saying "see ya later" for a few months. Thankfully for us that is awhile down the road, but for now...

My big girl is starting Kindergarten!!! 

Tomorrow is her first day. Well our first day. I don't actually have to let her go just yet. We have chosen to embark on the journey of home schooling. I'm really looking forward to having this one on one time with her and I think she is, too. She has been counting the days until her first day and is so eager to start! She is so excited to learn and I love that about her. She is smart, caring, motherly, spunky, funny, and we have no doubt she is going to do great things in her life. I know it's kindergarten but I'm feeling slightly nervous, as this is new for the both of us. Please pray for us as we start this journey.

Question: Do you have any advice for a first time homeschooling mom?

Testy Tuesdays

It's that time again. Just below are the pet peeves that are driving us crazy this week. Add your own in the comments, or ditto someone else. Commiserate with each other, blow off steam and go on your merry way.

Kylee: creepy things and places

Stephanie: not being able to find what I need 

Jill:  Bugs

Now it's your turn. What's bugging you?

Off to Brazil

I won't be posting for a few weeks as we adjust to our big move, but here are a few pictures so you don't forget us!

 Nutella ice cream sundae.. Sooo yummy! 

 The "play area" at an ice cream shop

 Walking to church

 They call it gardening....

 Nose cut.. Don't really know how it happened 🤷‍♀️

 Matching dresses!! 

Hubby preaching 

What's Your Dream?

So I was sitting here trying to figure out what I was going to blog about today, and while I was thinking about it I was watching an episode of America's Got Talent.

Spoiler Alert:  Not every American has talent.

At any rate, as I watched person after person cry while explaining that they were there to "live their dream", I got to thinking about dreams.

And then I got to be wondering about you.

So tell me, if money and talent and such were no object, what would you be doing?

I'm pretty sure that if I could do anything, I'd be a plate spinner. For some reason I think it would come naturally.

So what's your talent?

Happy Thoughts Thursday

So you've made it through half the week, but it's still not Friday yet. Sometimes by Thursday you need a little lift to make it to the weekend.

Our solution? Happy Thought Thursday. On Tuesdays you can drop a pet peeve or an irritation. On Thursdays, give us a praise, a thankfulness, or something that just makes you happy. Your contributions on Thursday can be deep and spiritual, such as thankfulness for your salvation, or as shallow as a cup of coffee or a good hair day.  Here are our happy thoughts for this week:

Stephanie: I found my favorite bread at a supermarket in Brazil !
                   
Kylee: Cookies and milk!

Jill:  My very long list of major events for the summer is finally done.

 what about you? What makes you happy today?

Special Guests!!

My parents are here visiting this week!!   

Ever since I have gotten married I have been away from my family so I have never really gotten the chance to have my mom’s help setting up or decorating any room of my house. So, when they came for this visit I thought it would be fun to have my moms help setting up my girls' room. It was the last major thing I had to do on the list before baby girl arrives. I needed help putting up another bed and making sure they all fit so they didn’t look like sardines all packed in one place.

My daughter also made a schedule for my parents while they are here on their visit. Thankfully for me, she had her room project on her list too. So, it was a win, win for all of us. I’m glad we could squeeze it in because she had them quite busy.

Having my parents' help was a huge blessing because it would have taken me some time on my own, not to mention lifting furniture when your 28 weeks, is apparently frowned upon. Who knew?

I was really worried trying to fit all four children into one room. With the way our house it set up right now, that is just the way it had to be. However, I think we should win an award for fitting everyone in without it looking over crowded.

Well, the hard part is done but I have a few final touches to do as far as babies’ crib goes and wall décor.

Did I mention this was also Olivia’s first time in her big girl bed!! She had a hard time getting to sleep due to the fact that she was so excited but she did a great job her first night!

Testy Tuesdays

It's that time again. Just below are the pet peeves that are driving us crazy this week. Add your own in the comments, or ditto someone else. Commiserate with each other, blow off steam and go on your merry way.

Kylee: whiney kids

Stephanie: being able to find everything but the thing you need. 

Jill:  When you forget to post the blog. 🤦🏼‍♀️

Now it's your turn. What's bugging you?

Off to Brazil

I won't be posting for a few weeks as we adjust to our big move, but here are a few pictures so you don't forget us!

Too tired of the airport! 

 Laying down on the patio outside our home

 Babies chillin on the airplane 

There He Goes Again!

One of the most annoying things about raising children is that they grow up.

I mean, you'd think that's the goal. It is the goal. After all, I don't want a forty-year-old son living in my basement.

But still, the growing up thing can be difficult. Because once they grow up, they have the nerve to get lives of their own.

All that care and effort I put into raising them, and then they decide to go live their own life. I mean, is that fair?

They do crazy things like, get married.

Move to another country.

Go off to college.

That last one they do at the end of every summer. Just when I'm getting used to having them around, they take off again and I don't see them until the holidays.

Rude!

At any rate, this guy is headed off to college for his sophomore year so I'm asking you, what advice do you have for him?

And by all means, your advice does not have to make sense. After all, my grown kids rarely do.

Happy Thoughts Thursday

So you've made it through half the week, but it's still not Friday yet. Sometimes by Thursday you need a little lift to make it to the weekend.

Our solution? Happy Thought Thursday. On Tuesdays you can drop a pet peeve or an irritation. On Thursdays, give us a praise, a thankfulness, or something that just makes you happy. Your contributions on Thursday can be deep and spiritual, such as thankfulness for your salvation, or as shallow as a cup of coffee or a good hair day.  Here are our happy thoughts for this week:

Stephanie: we arrived in Brazil!
                   
Kylee: my to do list before baby comes is getting shorter!

Jill:  My children are serving God!


 what about you? What makes you happy today?

You Know Your A Mom If...

Being a mom is a wonderful thing but it’s a hard thing. Here are some moments and memories that give you a glimpse into motherhood.

You might be a mom if…

Your purse doubles as your diaper bag.

Your bed is no longer yours…

Your alarm is “Baby Shark do do”…

You have to change your outfit at least one time before leaving the house.

You’re never on time!

Lego’s and Barbie shoes are your worst nightmare.

You call your kids by their siblings names…

You randomly find a rock, a hair bow and a my little pony in your purse.

You find showering before 10 P.M. an accomplishment.

You are a hide and seek master.

The ringtones on your phone are theme songs to Disney movies.

You no longer remember what personal space is.

You have the ability to know just what your child is getting into in the other room.

You are able to get away for an hour but you are still shopping for or thinking about your kids.

You have magical boo boo healing powers.

There you have a glimpse into my life as a mother.

Anyone want to add to the list?

Testy Tuesdays

It's that time again. Just below are the pet peeves that are driving us crazy this week. Add your own in the comments, or ditto someone else. Commiserate with each other, blow off steam and go on your merry way.

Kylee: When you go to get your clothes from the dryer, only to realize you never actually started it.

Stephanie:  packing, organizing, limited space on airplanes, cleaning, goodbyes, and running out of hot water.... to name a few 

Jill:  When your children grow up, get married, have kids, and then move to another continent.😢

Now it's your turn. What's bugging you?

Bon Voyage

  Tomorrow is the day! We load up ourselves and our three littles and our 25 pieces of checked luggage and off to the airport we go!  Yes, you read that right, 25.  Don't believe me?? 

  That's our belongings right there in those containers. We've widdled everything else down to this. There were some things that were hard to let go of, like the $20 quilt that for some reason I cried over leaving. Then my husband so sweetly found room for said quilt. My hero!

  Because of this craziness in our lives right now, I won't be posting for a few weeks. Maybe by the time I come back, I'll stop being so late with my posts! 😲 For the next several weeks we will be posting some pictures on Mondays of our progress getting settled in Brazil.  So make sure your still stopping by on Mondays! Until then, So long for now!
 

How Do You Say It?

Adios.

Sayonara.

Aloha.

I've been thinking about this lately. There's a lot of ways to say goodbye. Some ways are hard. Some are fun. Some are awkward. It takes a lot of finesse to be able to say goodbye properly.

Some people do it quick. They don't like to linger. They don't want to show emotion. They give a quick hug or better yet a nod and then they're on to other things. Men and toddlers tend to be the best at this type of farewell.

Some people just can't seem to rip the bandaid off. They've announced that they have to go. They've got their coat on. Their keys are in their hand, jingling, as they linger over bits of trivia and mind-numbing small talk. All the things of importance have been said, but they can't quite get to that last farewell. Those last few minutes are punctuated with long awkward silences because nothing more needs to be said. Then one or the other finally says, "Well ...". And then another round of awkward pauses and more awkward small talk.

Then there's the surprise goodbyes. The goodbye itself isn't a surprise, but the person saying it will suddenly throw out a comment containing the most important information of the entire weekend. "Well, you take care now. By the way, Uncle Ryan wrote you out of the will. Have a good trip!" They've been sitting on that little tidbit all weekend, and they finally work up the courage to say something as you're heading out to the car.

You also have the clingers. They go in for a hug and don't let go, sometimes squeezing your neck until you're gasping for air.

It's adorable when you're two.

Not so much when you're thirty.

I think the goodbyes that I hate the most, though, are the crying goodbyes. If someone cries when they tell me goodbye, then I end up crying.

I prefer to do my crying in private so usually I swallow back the tears, put on a brave smile and say a quick goodbye. Then after the leave I can go back in the house and sob. This doesn't work so well if you're saying goodbye to someone who always hurries back because they forgot something, though.

I'm thinking about goodbyes because I have to say some this weekend. I am not looking forward to them. I'll probably stand around making awkward small talk. Hopefully I won't have any last minute surprises, but I probably will hug and squeeze for as long as they'll let me.

I'll do my best to hold back the tears. After all, I've got a nine hour drive after they get on the plane. That's almost enough time to get all the tears out.

So how do you say goodbye?

Happy Thoughts Thursday

So you've made it through half the week, but it's still not Friday yet. Sometimes by Thursday you need a little lift to make it to the weekend.

Our solution? Happy Thought Thursday. On Tuesdays you can drop a pet peeve or an irritation. On Thursdays, give us a praise, a thankfulness, or something that just makes you happy. Your contributions on Thursday can be deep and spiritual, such as thankfulness for your salvation, or as shallow as a cup of coffee or a good hair day.  Here are our happy thoughts for this week:

Stephanie: my parents are coming in two days!
                   
Kylee: only 14 weeks until baby is here!

Jill:  just attended two great nights of revival. Love being in God’s house with God’s people!


 what about you? What makes you happy today?

Where is our Faith?

How many of you worry about different things in your life whether it be your spouse, your children, your finances, people in your church or events going on in your ministry? I think that would probably be the majority of us. How many of you would say that you have put your fear of things in front of your faith?

Psalm 118:6 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?

Psalm 56:3 What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.

Recently, there was something we were working on for our church. There were a couple of different times concerning this event that we had wondered if it would even be worth the money or the time. We worried about the attendance, money, and everything falling into place. Where was our Faith?

Oftentimes we forget to pray and ask God for guidance and wisdom in whatever situation we are dealing with.

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Jeremiah 32:27 Behold I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for me?

God already knew what we wanted and what we needed, but how can He give provide it for us if we don’t ask Him for it?

It was a Wednesday that we had been worried about all of these things, and It wasn’t until I was reminded that we just needed to pray and ask God for what we needed. The very next day He showed us in two very big ways that He can provide, we just have to give it to Him. God is good, All the time!

Matthew 21:22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

So, next time you fear that you may not be able to pay your bill on time, or whatever the situation is where you might find yourself putting your fear before your Faith, remember to do one simply thing: Pray! Pray and ask God for Wisdom and Provision.

Isaiah 41:10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

Do you have a time that you can think of that you put your Faith in front of your fear and God provided?

Testy Tuesdays

It's that time again. Just below are the pet peeves that are driving us crazy this week. Add your own in the comments, or ditto someone else. Commiserate with each other, blow off steam and go on your merry way.

Kylee: when people don't pick up there feet when the walk..

Stephanie:  when I forget to pack important things, like phone chargers 

Jill:  When someone always makes everything about them.

Now it's your turn. What's bugging you?

Monday Musings

I recently stumbled upon some totally useless facts that I thought you all might find interesting... or not, but regardless I'm going to share them.

• Shakespeare invented the words "assassination" and "bump"

• If you keep a goldfish in a dark room, it will eventually turn white

• Right handed people live, on average, nine years longer than left handed people 

• If the population of China walked past you in a single line, the line would never end because of the rate of reproduction

• Most lipstick contains fish scales   (EWWW!)

• Over 2500 left handed people a year are killed from using products made for right handed people

• More people are killed by donkeys annually than by plane crashes

• Every time you lick a stamp, you're consuming 1/10 of a calorie. (Don't forget to add that in your calorie count!)

• It's against the law to burp or sneeze in a certain church in Omaha, Nebraska. (Well, my brother's would end up in jail there)

• the starfish is one of the only animals who can turn it's stomach inside out.

• Hershey's kisses are called that because the machine that makes them looks like it's kissing the conveyor belt

• Lastly, left handed people make better artists. Or so the internet says. You would disagree too if you saw my mom try to be artsy. 😁😁

How's your Monday going??

The Best Month

"I can't believe it's August already!"

Admit it. You've already said that, haven't you? I know I have. Pretty much every time I've had to write the date on something.

I think August tends to be neglected as far as summer months go. June has the excitement of school being out and summer just beginning. July has ... well ... the Fourth of July. It's hard to compete with that. Especially since August doesn't even have a holiday. Well, except for tax-free back to school shopping weekend.

August may not be the most spectacular of months, but it's got a few credits under it's belt. According to the internet, August is--

Admit You Are Happy Month
Audio Appreciation Month
Cataract Awareness Month
Catfish Month
National Eye Exam Month
Family Fun Month
Get Ready for Kindergarten Month
Goat Cheese Month
Happiness Happens Month
National Back to School Month
Panini Month
Peach Month
National Picnic Month
Romance Awareness Month
Sandwich Month
Water Quality Month
What Will Be Your Legacy Month

--among others. I just like August because it's my birthday month. And once you get to be an adult, your celebrating is no longer limited to the actual date. I've already gotten emails from Kohls, Meijer, Ulta and a few other places gifting me with extra reward points, free mascara and some other goodies for my birthday. I should be able to get a gift or do something to celebrate almost every day this month.

In the meantime, tell me which of the above titles you intend to use to celebrate August. Goat Cheese Month? Gonna celebrate by scheduling a check up with your eye doctor for National Eye Exam Month? (You wild thing, you!)

You can also drop a comment telling me where you get the best birthday freebies. I'm always game for expanding my celebrating horizons.

Happy Thoughts Thursday

So you've made it through half the week, but it's still not Friday yet. Sometimes by Thursday you need a little lift to make it to the weekend.

Our solution? Happy Thought Thursday. On Tuesdays you can drop a pet peeve or an irritation. On Thursdays, give us a praise, a thankfulness, or something that just makes you happy. Your contributions on Thursday can be deep and spiritual, such as thankfulness for your salvation, or as shallow as a cup of coffee or a good hair day.  Here are our happy thoughts for this week:

Stephanie: friends who sell nice clothes to you for very cheap! I now have to lularoe Carlys. Yay me!!!!
                   
Kylee: I just finished working on a big project off my list!

Jill:  sprinkles. They’re always a happy thought.


 what about you? What makes you happy today?

Things You Should Never Say or Ask A Pregnant Woman

The last couple of weeks in Junior Church some of the kids have come up to me and asked me if I had a baby in my stomach. I'm not sure if they are just now paying attention or if I'm just now really starting to look pregnant? Either way, it got me thinking about things that people say to pregnant women and have said to me in the past.

My momma always taught me that if I don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. I know for some people that is a real challenge. It doesn't hurt to take a few extra seconds to think of how you could say or ask something a little nicer.

If you're pregnant, have been pregnant or related to someone who has been either, know that there are some things you should avoid asking or saying to that person.

1. You are Huge!

2. You still haven't had that baby?

3. Are you sure there isn't more than one in there?

4. You look tired!

5. You're having another girls? Your poor husband!

6. You must be uncomfortable!

7. Have you not figured out how you got like that?

8. Look at that bump! (While touching your bump). Um, excuse me..If you didn't put it there please do not touch!

9. When you're near the end of the pregnancy and you attend church.."You're still here?" Obviously...

So, next time your around someone who is expecting take a second to make sure you're not about to say or ask one of these things.

So what about you, has anyone asked you an annoying question while pregnant? Have you said anything embarrassing to someone who is expecting?