Make a List Monday #15

My last Make a List Monday was, um, several weeks ago.
You know why?
Cause it took me forever to get it done.
Not because they were extremely time consuming things, but because one of them I did not want to do.

This was my list and progress from April 18.

1.  Finish downloading pictures to my digital frame. Okay, so apparently this one little monster is the hold up.  It continues to be put on my list and I continue to put it off.  I sat down to work on it the other day and realized I had lost my directions.  Then I thought I had it figured out and then realized when my computer crashed a few weeks earlier, I lost all my previously installed software.  I have misplaced the software CD and could not re-install it.  Oh well.  I decided to let it go and display my frame as is.  I will update again when I run across my software CD.

2.  Make a separate basket or designated spot for all my exercise clothing. 
To-Da...

Okay, yes, it is a little big.
I only put an outfit or two in it along with socks, exercise bra, etc. 
I will add more or eventually make a smaller basket, but for now, it is something.
And it works.
I just slide it in the bottom of my closet under my dresses and it works perfectly!


3.  Make a designated spot in my kitchen for activities for the girls (playdoh, coloring books, water paints, etc.) 
To-Da...

The girls have already tried it out and love it.
Not only is it a fun time filler when I am working in the kitchen, it will also make a great place to grab needed supplies for homework.
Now, if I can only get them to keep it straight!!

Now for next week.
Summer is coming and I will soon be out of school for the summer.
Hip-Hip-Hooray!!
I need to get some things going so we have a productive summer.

This will be my list for this week.

1.  Wash down the baseboards.  Oh, how this needs to be done.  I know two little girls that will be helping me!

2.  Organize Kacie's ka-trillion stuffed animals.  Anybody got a good idea for this?

3.  Spend 15 min. each day organizing the garage.  I feel like I'm always needing to work on the garage.  I know I can't just say "Clean the garage" because I will never get that accomplished.  I will put it off.  I can, however, clean for 15 minutes every night until the job gets done.

I am thinking about starting a linky party for "Make a List Mondays".
Several people have expressed an interest for doing this.
Please let me know if this is something you would like to do too!

I am excited to get started on this week's list and to get'er done!!  :)

Joining Debbiedoos Newbie Party

Surrendering

Those of you that read my blog know that I have been struggling as we left our old church and have been seeking God's will and direction in our lives.
No, there was absolutely no one reason we left.
We just felt that God led us away.

We tried a couple different places and felt a strong pull toward one of them.
It just happened to be the same church we had attended before we went to our "old church".
This is hard stuff.

We came at just the right time.
The church was doing a series on 40 Days of Focus and we started attending the week before it started.
The week we started the pastor explained to the congregation that he was going to give them a "tweener" sermon.
This was a sermon that was "in between" two different series, apparently.
In this particular sermon, the pastor talked about what they do with the resources the church gives them.
Let me just say, I was blown away.
The Bible says where your treasures are, there your heart will be also.
This pastor layed it all out there for everyone to hear of what they were doing with the money being given to them through tithes and offerings.
I loved, loved, loved how much they were investing in the children, the youth, and the community.
I loved their vision.
I loved how mission minded they were.

I got in the car and my husband immediately asked me what I thought.
My words were, "Sign me up".
He was in complete agreement.

We didn't really make our decision right then.
We decided we would stick with that church for the "Forty Days of Focus" series, pray about it, and then evaluate to see if God had given us an answer by then.

The church was doing small groups and we felt so out of place.
After all, we had once attended there for a few years and had left.
What if they thought we had no business coming back?
What if they wouldn't accept us?
What if they thought, what are they doing here?
Once again, no particular reason we left other than this church is quite large.

My husband wanted to sign up for a small group.
Me, I wanted to be contacted by someone.
I felt that would show me where God wanted to put us.
We knew that if we hadn't heard from anyone by Sunday of that first week, we would have to talk to the small group coordinator and ask her to put us in a group.

Friday night, I got an email from the guy that took us in and invited us to his new Sunday School class when we had first attended this church.
He invited us to join his small group.
What?!?
Are you kidding me?
Of course we wanted to join!
We later learned that three of the couples in this small group were also in groups we had been in in the past and our old Sunday School Class as well.

We were so nervous and intimidated when we went to that small group.
I have never felt so welcome.
This was such a wonderful group of people.
We felt like we had picked up where we had left off 4 years ago.
There were four small group meetings and we were sadly only able to attend two due to prior plans.
We absolutely felt so happy to be among this group of people that made us so comfortable to be ourselves.
They openly discussed their thoughts about the Bible study we were doing.
They openly discussed their weaknesses and faults.
I love that.
I love people that are strong enough to discuss their weaknesses.

Lots of things have happened since we started attending in March, and we feel that we are where God wants us to be for now. 
It is still scary sometimes.
It is still hard sometimes.
But God is slowly showing us that He is in this thing.
That is a great feeling to have.  :)

I didn't mean to go on about all that.
It just kind of happened.
I meant to tell you about the sermon we had this morning.
It was actually about something God has already been talking to me about.
You see, I've sang the song, "I Surrender All" a gazillion times.
I've thought I meant it a gazillion times.

But...

I think that God showed me something in a different light a few weeks ago.
I have made bargains with God in the past. 
Gasp.
Have you ever done that?
I have told God that He can do whatever He wants to in my life.
I have told Him that I will do whatever He asks of me.
I have told Him that I want to do His will.

Here's the but.

I have told Him, "Please, do not ever make me have to move away from home. 
You know God, you wouldn't do that to me anyway. 
Would you? 
Well...please don't. 
I'll do anything but that.

I have also told Him, "Please, whatever you do, take care of my family. 
Don't let anyone get sick. 
You wouldn't let that happen anyway. 
Would you? 
Well...please don't. 
I want your will but not that.

Okay, I'm sure those may be just fine things to say to God.
I still don't really know.
All I know is that He showed me these thoughts for some reason.
I'm working on it and I'm still not quite there yet.

The sermon this morning was about "Who is the boss of your life"?
Pastor Jeff made it clear that you could not be a disciple of Christ unless you let God be the boss of your life.
That everything must be surrendered to God.

I would really like the prayer of my heart to be, "Lord, I truly surrender all. 
Not my will, but yours."


Here is one of my favorite older songs by Clay Crosse.

Happy Mother's Day!

My little family celebrated my Mother's Day yesterday.
My sweet husband knew that Sunday would be crazy busy and that we would be running around and rushed before church this morning

So Friday night my husband prepared a "surprise" that I was not allowed to look at in the frig.
Saturday morning, I was informed that I would be having breakfast in bed.
Tim got up around 8:30 (which was a sacrifice for him) and put my breakfast in the oven.
He had put together the yummiest french toast casserole.
YUM-MY!!!
While Tim was working away in the kitchen, Megan was trying to make me more comfortable.
She brought me books to read and Reese Peanut Butter eggs out of her Easter basket.  :) 
Don't worry. 
I didn't eat them.
Not for breakfast anyway.

Kacie finally got out of bed and came in to visit me.
She brought her CD player along with her favorite Beauty and the Beast CD.
It was so cute. 
She had the Beauty and the Beast song, "Be Our Guest" starting just as Tim brought my breakfast in on a tray.
It was precious.
I could have cried but the french toast and bacon distracted me.  :)
Megan stayed close by and brought me refills or anything else I needed.
Afterwards, we all threw on a hat and headed to our local greenhouse.
Tim and the girls let me pick out flowers for Mother's Day.
That is what I wanted.

We came back home and showered and got dressed to head out to the girls' Girl Scouts Mommy and Me Spa Day.
It was so fun.
We got to have a Mother's Day tea, make foot scrubs (which I am soaking in as I type), bath salts, we painted nails, talked about table manners and the proper way to set a table, and even painted a service project.

When we got home, Tim had cooked another one of my favorite meals.  Pinto Beans (soup beans, as we call them in Kentucky), cornbread, and fried potatoes.
It was DELICIOUS!!
After dinner, we soaked in the foot scrubs (together in a big pan) and watched the Kentucky Derby coverage together.  It was the best Mother's Day (Saturday) ever!!

Friday night, the girls and I were hanging out at my Mom and Dad's.

While I was inside, my Dad took the girls into the field behind the house and helped them pick wildflowers.

They came rushing in the door like little bullets.

They were so excited to give me their bouquets of flowers.

When we got home, I immediately put them into a vase and that just made their day.

They were so pleased with themselves.

Oh, my Mom is SO much fun to take pictures with.

I.AM.LYING.

She is a nightmare.
I love her to pieces, but it is terrible.
She laughs.
She talks.
She looks at me.
She makes weird faces.
She fusses.
Get the picture?

Anyway, after 513 pictures, this is the best we could get.
Remember, my camera is awful and getting worse everyday and my mother was a moving target.
She stripped out of her church clothes and jumped straight into her t-shirt when she got home.
I love that silly woman anyway and finally got a decent picture with her.  :)

Happy Mother's Day Momma!!

Even though my camera is the pits, this is one of my favorite pictures of me and my girls.

We are always snuggling.

The girls sang me songs they made up and played the guitar.

We video-d (how do you spell that?) them singing for me.

We were in tears.

It was precious.

Happy Mother's Day to all of you wonderful mothers out there and thank you to the best little girlies in the world for making my Mother's Day so absolutely special (and to Tim for helping them)!!!!!!!!!

Gettin' Crafty

My Mom had a little get together at her house today.
She had her Mom and her two sisters over for a little "luncheon".
Before she had them over, she had a few little projects she wanted to get done.

This is where I came in.  :)

She has recently redone her kitchen and has done it in sort of a candy/bakery theme.
She likes to make homemade candy all the time, so she thought it would be fun to decorate her kitchen in this theme.
She bought a few little theme oriented knick knacks and took them to a local florist to be put on a wreath.
She decided it wasn't what she wanted and gave me some poly mesh to redo it.

Let me just say...I have never done this before and had no.idea.what.I.was.doing.
I did the best I could and I think it looks better than it did before.
In all fairness to the local florist, I don't think my mom really articulated what it was she wanted because I'm not sure she even knew.  Ha!

I hate that my camera STINKS. 

It really is much more vibrant than this photo portrays.

I did take the photo in the evening though and I'm sure it didn't help my pitiful little camera.

So Mom decided that since she had another plane grapevine wreath and leftover mesh, I could do a wreath for her front door.

As before, I had no idea what I was doing.

I had no direction to go in because all I had was pink and blue mesh.

I had a couple hours to do it in so I had to get it done in a hurry.

I live in a fairly small town with little options as far as purchasing cute supplies but I was determined to make it work.

I started out and bought the ribbons and tried out one of our new stores and found the little plaque.

I think it turned out kinda cute.

Kinda "Easter-y", but oh well.  :)

The verdict is still out on what I really think of decorating with this meshy stuff.

Do any of you decorate with mesh?

Linking to Debbiedoos Newbie Party

                Met Monday