Tomorrow is the first of many fun nights...

Tomorrow begins a new tradition here in our home. 


A new, fun family night. 


I have been waiting for this year. This time. This day. 


Tomorrow will be our first ever- 


Family Movie Night!!!


Woohoo!


I am a movie lover. I'm the type of person who calls movies, films. The Oscars is my Superbowl. I hate when they make replicas of old films because they never do as good of a job as the original, i.e. Guess Who with Ashtom Kutcher, ugh! Ashton Kutcher v. Sidney Poitier! Seriously? What where they thinking?


Anyways. 


As I was saying...I love films. I love cinema. I love original songs and cinematography...I love a good movie.


I don't like, um, stupid movies that have no reason for being. (Yeah, I know I am sort of a snob when it comes to films). 


What's a good movie? You ask.


Steel Magnolias, Saving Private Ryan, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, The Bachelor and the Bobbysoxer, The Blindside, Remember the Titans, Covergirl, Singing in the Rain, Thelma and Louise, anything with Morgan Freeman, Barefoot in the Park...and I could go on and on! Almost anything with Tom Hanks! 


Classic films, black and white, technicolor, musicals, comedies, tear jerkers, chick flicks...ooh The Philadelphia Story...I love them!


I grew up watching good films. My parents introduced us to good films. My mother taught me who Shirley Temple is and the artistry of Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. We had movie nights and shared in that. I loved it. One of our favorite games is to quote films!


I remember watching Casablanca with my grandmother in her room. Crying when they began singing La Marseillaise. 


I remember watching Shirley Temple singing "On the Good ship, Lollipop!" 


I remember watching Dirty Dancing over and over and over again..."Nobody puts Baby in the corner!"


I can't wait to share the movies I love to Sammy and Emma. I want them to know who Audrey Hepburn was and to appreciate how far films have come and how great they are and use to be. I want them to live in a world of imagination and to be able to experience films the way I did. 


I want them to think back to when they first saw Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and think of the fun they had with us. 


I want to see and hear what they think when Indiana is fighting the Nazis or when Marty goes back to the future or when Scarlet drives the buggy home to Tara or when Anakin turns into Darth Vadar! 


I can not wait. 


And so tomorrow is the first of these nights. 


We'll get out the blankets, make popcorn and put in the film!


What are we watching?

Alvin and the Chipmunks, The Squeakquel! 

A place for Everything...

You have heard that saying, "A place for everything and everything in it's place."


Yeah...that's not the way it is at my house. 
I have been under major conviction about this because:


1) nothing is in it's place
2) few things really have a place
3) everything kinda gets lost or misplaced


Thus, the old saying.


For example, as I write this I am sitting in my kitchen looking all around.


On my kitchen table I have the following items (I'd show you pics but we lost our camera and will hopefully have one by the weekend)...

• Church Bulletin/notes (which is sad b/c we didn't make it to church this past Sunday so needless to say this has been on the table for maybe 2 weeks)
• Mail
• Folded gift bag
• A picture my son drew for his cousin
• Tip Toe Ballerina Board book
• A lighter
• Lint remover rolly thing

Now, don't judge me yet because I will say that my house is very messy right now. Well the kitchen is for sure...yeah the living room is too! I looked back to check and sure enough I haven't gotten to picking it up yet either (we all know blogging is more important!) Anyways, the reason it is so messy is because my little girl has been very sick and I have been one tired, stressed out momma! (See, I need this blogging therapy!) 


So, back to what works for me...


My kitchen being as it is you can see that things aren't in their place. And I came to the conclusion that many things aren't in their place, not just in the kitchen.


Therefore...It is time to create places.


This is the dream...

Not even close!


These are things on my list that need spaces of their own...


Crazy kids Art projects - I don't keep all the kids projects (though I have for the last umm... eight three months because I have not gone through them and decided what goes in the keep pile. A friend suggested these amazing things called "under bed boxes!" And I realized that may just work! 


Gift Bags- I recycle a lot of gift bags. I still have bags from my wedding! Right now these actually do have a place...the one on the table just isn't there. I have this large antique furniture piece...let's call it an armoire, where I keep all the bags. This has proven to be an ineffective place to store them so you know where I am going to keep the,,,,Under bed box! 


Next...Medicine. I've written about us being sick a lot lately here and here. And I have noticed our medicine is scattered around a few places and I will confess that there have been times when we just can't find the thermometer so I need some crates for under the sink (ha, you thought I was going to say bed didn't you!).


And I think I am going to get a few more crates for random other things that need places. I could go on and on but so far those are the things on my list. 


I'm hoping this works for me. I think it will. I crave organization, I've really let things go lately so I need to get better about this. So...tomorrow I'm off to Walmart in hopes that they can help organize my beautiful, crazy home and save me some money too! Now off to find that label maker! 


Any other suggestions or tips? For more ideas that work click here. 

Sweet Content

Life has been so sweet. It has been full of blessings and promises fulfilled. 


As I mentioned in this post here, I have been trying to not allow the enemy to take this time away from us and despite that we are still fighting against sickness. 


I had a moment or two of weakness this past weekend. And my sweet friend over at "The best is yet to come" reminded me to savor every moment and not keep looking for the better. 


Wow did I have to hear that!


We have a lot of planning going on over here for summer time. 


My husband and I LOVE summer! We are beach people. We like laying by the pool, going to the beach, soaking up the sun, etc. 


Our ideal vacation includes a beach and good tans! 


So we are ready! It was a cold winter and a rainy spring so bring on the sun! 


Anyways, we have a lot of plans for summertime. We are going on a trip to NYC sans children! I am so excited about this, you have no idea! I haven't been to Manhattan since I don't remember when and our trip is booked, musical tickets are ready and woohoo! 


We are also traveling with my family to Alabama for a family trip. I am very excited about this as well. It's going to be lots of fun, on the beach every day! Love it! Plus we will be celebrating my parents 30th wedding anniversary while there so it will be a sweet time with everyone. 


We also are planning a few trips to our local beach and a few to schlitterbaun as well. 


Anyways, with all this planning I suppose I have gotten ahead of myself. I love to plan. I love control over where to go, what to do, etc. I love lists and laying out all we can do! CRAZY! 


This is where my problem lies. Control. When I don't have control. When I can't plan. When I can't make lists I go a little crazy! 


So, this weekend I went a little crazy b/c I could not plan something, I had no control of it and I really had little power over it. 


I knew nothing nor could I do anything! 


This control freak was having issues! 


And then, I realized...this is just another thing that is taking away from my joy. Another things that is distracting me from this sweet, content, peaceful time. 


And it did exactly that. I was totally distracted. I was sad. I was frustrated. I wasn't enjoying anything. 


Last night my little girl was sick with fever. She woke up around 3:30 and I went up to hold her, soothe her and give her some medicine. Every time I tried to put her in her bed she would clench on to me, her little hands would grasp my shirt and her legs tightened up around my waist and she would start to wimper. 


So I held her. 


I was so tired. I was uncomfortable and her fever broke so my shirt was wet from her sweat. 


But as I sat there with her I felt such a peace and joy...total content. 


Yes, she was sick. I hated that. I had no control over her little body. I was tired, but I treasured that hour. I was able to hold and smell her sweet head and stroke her soft hair. She's getting so big I don't get to do that as much anymore. 


Sweet fulfillment. 


And whatever else comes along or doesn't, whatever plans I have, none of it matters; God has better plans and great blessings in store and in the meantime I will wait on Him and enjoy my gifts now!


"Father, I am constantly tested and thank God constantly growing! Thank you that I am not stagnant! Not anymore! Thank you for all you have blessed me with. Thank you for plans, they are good. We are going to have a great summer, we are going to have fun and enjoy this special time in our lives. You are so good! In your precious name, Amen." 

His Grace is Enough

We have been sick over here. Lots of sick.


And I'm tired. Tired of the sicky.
The kids have been sick. I have been sick.
Luckily I have been sick more than the kids. Which is better than sick kids though not much.


I was finally able to get some medicine and was starting to feel better when all of a sudden...baby girl is sick.


AUGH!!!


Seriously! Augh!


Sick of being sick!


Here's the thing. I came to a revelation. Enlightenment.


For two years life has been...at times a struggle. Hard. Tiring. CRAZY!


I went through an emotionally difficult pregnancy, house issues from Ike, and the loss of two grandparents.
I walked out of 2008 ready for better. Ready to be new...to not be that sad, depressed girl of the year before. I had a new baby and I was ready for a new me.


But 2009 was...strange...up and down...My husband's job was secure, praise God, but going through lots of changes. Too many changes. Not fun changes. A lot of decisions had to be made. Move or stay. More money, promotion or wait?


We waited because God told us to wait. Wait on Him. Wait for more. Wait.


Waiting is hard. Waiting sometimes.., well it sorta sucks!


2009 passed with little change.


And then, God moved. The waiting was over. The depression of 2008, the tiredness and stress of 2009 were over. God moved.


A new job. A wonderful, more than what we could imagine job came through.


And for the first time in two years I can say that I am 100% me.


I feel stronger, better...me.


I think I have grown so much in the past two years.  My faith was tested it failed me...and by it failing it grew by leaps and bounds...more than my faith has ever been in my entire christian walk. I have learned to trust the Lord more. I have become a better wife...a better christ follower. I am careful with my words, I am encouraging, I am not judgemental and not as proud as I use to be.


I'm a better me. And I love it.


All that being said, I haven't really enjoyed this time of sweetness, of this new me, of blessing because...I've been sick.


The enemy thinks he's slick, doesn't he? Everything else is beautiful, but all he has to do is make me physically ill and he thinks he is able to take away that Joy. That Peace. The things I have been patiently waiting on for years now!


I DON"T THINK SO!


I KNOW that no weapon formed against me shall prosper! And I am not going to let this sickness take over my joy and peace that I have been waiting for for so long! NO WAY! I am going to sing and dance and Praise my God despite it all! Because this time is sweet. It is precious. The enemy has taken too much time away and I am not giving him anymore! So if he thinks I am going to fall into that dreary, sad, poor me pit again, he's got another thing coming!


My God is good. He is so Good. He is my healer and my provider. And he is healing me right now. He is healing my kids right now. And we are going to revel in this time. Revel in his blessings.


I am going to enjoy life like never before. I've been to ugly. I was ugly! I will not go back. And if it get scary again. If it gets ugly again, and it can very well get that way because this is the life we live in, then I will face that ugly and scary head on and I will know how fight and how to praise and how to pray and how to have faith and trust that My God is protecting me and fighting for me.


"Father, thank you for this time of sweetness. I have missed it. And it is so good. Help me to revel in it. To enjoy it. To hold on to it. Thank you for this peace and this Joy. It is so precious to me and I am not letting it go. Thank you for the fire Lord. It was hard. It was painful but I have been purified and am more complete. I know I have a lot more to learn and a lot more growing but I am willing and wanting it because it makes me a better me, a better wife, a better mom and a better friend. I love you Lord. In your precious name, Amen."