My New Job Title

I guess I've gone a little crazy since I've decided that being a stay at home, homeschooling mom to 3 boys just wasn't enough. I've always loved children's books and thought about getting back into direct sales to generate a little more income for my family so I am now a consultant for Usborne Books and More. Usborne is a children's book, direct sales company that has been around since the 1960's. Their books are all made in house and they are so fun and colorful. Many of them have lift the flap features or pull out pages. Some of the baby books are the ones they can feel different textures on. Here is a small sample. There are over 1600 titles to choose from, so there is definitely something for every child. 

If you would like to see more of these fabulous books, please check out my website by clicking HERE!

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog. Let me know if you have any questions about Usborne Books and More.

Be blessed my friends!

An Eye Opener About Money

A lot has been going on in my world. The day before yesterday I ended up in the ER because my heart was constantly fluttering and I got light headed. After spending 2 hours in the waiting room and another 4 hours or so in a room, I finally got to come home. All of my tests came back normal. I had to wear a heart monitor for 24 hours and I don't have those results yet. The next day I got a really big bill from the IRS. Apparently I made a mistake on our 2012 taxes. I cried my eyes out. I'm thankful that we have the money in our savings to cover it and thankful that my husband treated me with kindness as I explained what happened. Until now we've been living kind of care free; going out to eat, giving money away, and spending money like we have it...because we did. I feel like the last couple of days were a huge wake up call. I feel like God slapped me in the face. As I was going through my 2012 papers, trying to figure out what had happened, I found an index card that I had written on. It said, "If therefore you are not faithful in the use of worldly wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you? Luke 16:11"  After reading this, I cried some more. We have always been givers and faithful tithers, but I feel like God told me right then and there that we have got to start taking money more seriously. We have to be diligent with it. We can still be givers and tithers (and we will), but we need to be faithful with the rest. Instead of blowing it all of the time on eating out and buying whatever our hearts desire, we need to budget and save money for the future. Although I'm really sad over the events that have happened over the last few days and the fact that our bank account has been drained, I am grateful that God has opened my eyes. What about you? Are you faithful with worldly wealth? If not, I pray that God will help you as you strive to be a better steward of the things He has blessed you with. I'm on this journey with you!

Be blessed my friends!

The Bump On My Baby's Head

About a month after our little man was born, we thought he had a mosquito bite on the side of his head. The bump appeared to be liquid-filled, swollen, and red. We didn't think much about it until a few weeks later when a bump reappeared in the same location. I knew that wasn't a coincidence and he couldn't have been bitten in the same spot again. I noticed that once the swelling went down, it looked almost like a tiny, grey birthmark. We mentioned it to our pediatrician and he told us to just keep an eye on it. As long as it didn't get larger, he thought it was nothing to be concerned about.

Month after month, the bump would come and go and it seemed like it was getting slightly larger with each episode. I started taking pictures of it when it was swollen so we could show the pediatrician at his next check up. I took him in around 11 months of age and showed the doctor one of the pictures. I could tell that he was concerned about it this time, now that he saw for himself just how large it can get, which is usually about the size of a quarter. He referred us to a dermatologist.

I had an appointment scheduled to see the dermatologist, but one morning it swelled up so big that it freaked me out. My heart sank. I thought that there was surely something serious going on and I couldn't wait another few weeks until his appointment. Here is a picture that I took that day:

I called the dermatologist in a panic. I had all these terrible thoughts racing through my head. I'm sure you could think of a few things too. I felt guilty for even having these thoughts as a Christian mom. I wanted so deeply to just trust Jesus. I prayed for my baby and I prayed for Him to give me peace. The dermatologist had me come in that day. I was so happy that I would probably finally get some answers. All the way there, I prayed over him and for God to calm my nerves.

Within about 30 seconds of seeing the doctor, she said, "I know exactly what this is. It's totally benign. You have nothing to worry about."  I shed a few tears of relief right there in her office. I thanked God (and I continued thanking Him many times after that). All the doctor had to do was scratch his head where the spot is. It immediately flared up and began to swell again. He has something called Mastocytoma. It's a benign skin tumor that usually occurs in childhood and clears up on its own. Under this bump, there are mast cells that produce histamine. When this area is irritated, it flares up. It doesn't cause him any pain or harm, it just itches.

I'm hoping that by posting this, it will help another momma out there who might have a child with the same symptoms and it will save her some uncertainty and the scary feelings I dealt with for 11 months. When I was trying to do my own research, I couldn't find anything that sounded like what was going on with our little man.

Be blessed my friends!

Learning With Minecraft

 

Do you have a child who loves playing Minecraft, but you want them to be playing on a safe and educational server? That's right, I said educational! I couldn't believe this site when I stumbled upon it today. My sons, ages 14 & 5 LOVE playing Minecraft. I don't really get it, but it sure beats a lot of the other games that are out there to play. Well, today I found SKrafty Homeschool Minecraft Classes. I'm ecstatic about this and it will probably play a huge factor in the curriculum I choose for my kids this coming school year. SKrafty works side by side with curriculum like Apologia, Mystery of History, A+ Interactive, and more. Most of the classes start in the fall and you pay a small fee for either self-paced classes or weekly, live classes. If you want to learn more, just check out the website by clicking HERE. I know this isn't a biblical website, but if you already allow your children to play this game, why not make it educational?

Be blessed my friends!

Blimey Cow

I've seen these kids before but forgot all about them. While searching for homeschool curriculum for next year, I stumbled upon them again. They are hilarious, former homeschoolers who produce a new video each Monday. Most of their videos give practical advice, but deliver the message in a hysterical format. Since we are homeschoolers, this is currently one of my favorite videos. Check it out!

For more of their videos, you can search Blimey Cow on Youtube or go to their website, BlimeyCowBeta.com.

Be blessed my friends!

New Pink Peony & Rose Oil Tone Body Wash Review

I got to try the new Pink Peony & Rose Oil Tone Body Wash for free because I'm a BzzAgent. This is by far one of my favorite products that I have received through BzzAgent. If you read my last post then you would know that I just got home from spending several weeks in Florida with my parents. I split the drive home into two days. By the time I got home, the first thing I wanted to do after unloading the van, was to take a shower. My Pink Peony & Rose Oil body wash was waiting for me. It lathered up so well and left my skin feeling so clean and soft. My favorite part though was the scent. I couldn't get enough of it! After cleaning my skin, I just couldn't stop sniffing the loofah. It made me feel as if I were at a spa getting pampered. Pink Peony & Rose Oil Tone Body Wash left me feeling nice and clean, but was delicate enough that it didn't bother parts of my skin that was sunburned. I highly recommend this product to anyone who loves feeling pampered!

VACATION

Hello friends! It's been a while again since I've written but this time it was for a very good reason. I just spent 5 and a half weeks in Florida with my parents. What an adventure that was! My husband was with us for the first week, but then he had to fly back for work. We missed each other so much, but I'm thankful for the time I got with my parents (even though at times we drove each other bonkers). I had a very small bucket list before my trip to Florida. It basically included seeing the ocean and going to Disney World. I know, not very adventurous. I'm happy to say that I have completed my bucket list, so if I die, I die happy! ha ha

Even though Disney World was on my bucket list, I was not impressed at all. It was way too crowded and costs too much money. Most of the rides are indoor boat rides. Woop-dee-doo  Please don't hate me if you disagree. This is just my opinion. I was also disappointed in the lack of characters that were visible. The only one we got to see and interact with was Stitch. I think Disney is way over-rated.

If you want to take your kids to a place that they will truly remember, you should try Legoland! My 5 year old could ride almost every ride in the park and the longest we ever had to wait in line was about 15 minutes; most lines were only about 5 minutes long. We had so much fun riding the rollercoasters over and over. There was also a double-decker merry-go-round. I had never seen that before and thought it was really cool. There were so many cool things to look at. There was an entire town that you could walk through and look at neat scenes made out of Legos. I really loved the Statue of Liberty and scenes that had functional boats made out of Legos that were in the water. We also watched a couple of 4d shows and a pirate show at the lake. We enjoyed Legoland so much that we took advantage of a promotion they have where you only have to pay $15 per person if you come back within 9 days. My advice: skip Disney and take your kids to Legoland!

The beach was an amazing experience for us. Besides my husband, this was the first time any of us had seen the ocean. Seeing it for the first time is something I don't think I'll ever forget. We first visited the Atlantic Ocean. I loved watching my sons filled with excitement as they played in the water and in the sand. We found so many neat seashells which was the highlight for us. My husband found some large, neat shells. When I thought I had found something cool, he would dive down and get it for me. My cool shells turned out to be a broken beer bottle and a brick. It's a good thing I didn't slice my foot open on the broken bottle! Our second trip was to the Siesta Keys. It was a beautiful, white sand beach. Although it was really pretty, it was less fun for the boys. They waves weren't that great and there weren't as many shells.

We had fun riding the golf-cart around the neighborhood (everyone there has a golf-cart). We loved seeing palm trees, alligators, and all kinds of different bird species. The weather was awesome. It mostly stayed in the 80's and we had very little rain. Another really cool place we visited was called Gatorama. We learned a lot about alligators and crocidiles. My husband and the boys got to hold a baby alligator: so cool! We did a lot of shopping and site seeing. We toured a state park where we saw more alligators and wildlife. I'm very thankful for being able to spend so much time with my parents (another great homeschool perk), but I don't plan on doing it again. I missed my hubby and my home too much!

Be blessed my friends!

Want to know why I haven't posted much lately? Well, this is why. I sit down to write out my thoughts and the very second that I press "new post", the baby wakes up. So....stay tuned!

AWESOME FRIEND PICTURES

These pictures and the family pics in my previous post were taken by a great friend of mine who is starting her own photography business. I think she did an awesome job. The pictures were definitely a blessing for our family.

The first picture is of me and one of my best friends, Sharon. I met Sharon on Craigslist of all places. I had just moved from a different state where I was previously state certified to babysit. Although I had just had our 2nd child, I was ready to babysit more children in order to help provide extra income for our family. I placed an ad on Craigslist and Sharon found me. I began watching her daughter when she was around 3 years old, and Sharon was pregnant with a baby boy. It's hard to believe that such a solid friendship was formed from a babysitting ad. We attend the same church and both sing on our praise and worship team. We have so much in common and continue to make many memories along the way. Sharon is definitely one of my friends for life!

This is Sharon's son (on the left), and my little Stinky Face. These guys are best buds for life! Their personalities really shine through in this picture. I love it!

MY SPECIAL BLESSING ~ MY FAMILY

The Spirit of a Quitter

About a year or so ago I was at church when our pastor and assistant pastor were laying hands on people and praying and prophesying over them. When it came my turn, the assistant pastor put his hands on my forehead and prayed a great prayer and spoke some fantastic words about our family. Then he took me by complete surprise when he said that he "breaks the spirit of a quitter off of me". What? ME, a quitter? And then it began. The deep reflections of my life and the realization of all the things I have quit doing, much of it long before God was calling me to quit.

• I quit college my senior year. Looking back, I really wish I had just pushed through those last few months. MONTHS! That's all I had left, and I quit.

• I quit a business that was growing great and had such awesome potential. Now, this one I really think God was leading me to quit, but sometimes I still question whether it was His will or mine. Sometimes I miss it, but it was really stressful at times.

• I've quit my dieting and exercise plans numerous times. Never got anywhere with that. Once again I'm trying to lose weight.

• At this very moment I want to stop homeschool because I feel like my husband would be so much better at it than me. I'm so frustrated. I can't even pronounce things right. He's a genius!

•  I stopped singing. This isn't good because one of my life goals was to become a famous singer. I used to sing on the praise and worship team, but then I had a baby and I'm having trouble making it to church on time. At least that's my excuse for now.

•  I've tried babysitting several times and it never worked out. 

Okay, I could honestly go on and on, but all that would do is drag me down. So I'll stop right here and give you and me some encouragement to keep moving forward. Don't give up.

WHAT DOES GOD SAY ABOUT QUITTING?

My favorite verse to keep me going through tough times (or even just when I'm feeling lazy) is this:   

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap a harvest, if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9

 This verse helps me when I feel like I'm facing a mountain. I actually tried meditating on it when I was in labor with our last child. It has really brought me through some tough times.

I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. 1 Corinthians 15:58

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. 1 Corinthians 9:24

 Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6

 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. Matthew 24:13

 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9

For with God nothing will be impossible. Luke 1:37

I REALLY wanted to just stop blogging during this post because my computer is running so slow that it's driving me bonkers! But look, I persevered and YOU CAN TOO! Whatever it is you are facing, no matter how big or small, just KEEP PUSHING FORWARD.  

DON'T QUIT!!!

Be blessed my friends!

A Dream With A Warning

Last night I had a lot of dreams, but one dream really stood out to me. I woke up and immediately began contemplating the meaning because it seemed so bizarre. Here is the dream:

I was living on a farm (but not the one I grew up on). My dad was loading rabbits in an enclosed trailer to haul them off to the butcher. How strange! I walked over to the trailer where he was and he said that I might want to go away while he took care of this. I knew immediately what he was talking about, so I quickly walked away with one of the rabbits in my arms that I intended on saving. As I was walking away, my dad broke another rabbit's neck to kill it. 

I walked inside the house and suddenly my rabbit was a sheep. I was petting it when all of the sudden it clamped down on my finger and wouldn't let go. Wow that hurt so bad! 

At some point in my dream, someone told me about a couple of people who used to go to our church and they said that they were better off than us because they only had one or two sheep.

Now I'm awake, lying there in bed thinking, "What in the world"? God immediately spoke this to my heart, "Wolves come in sheep clothing. You are holding on to something that seems like a good thing, but it's not".

I've been praying all day to understand this dream better. I know God is trying to warn me about something, but I'm clueless as to what it may be. Any thoughts? Does God often speak to you in dreams? 

Be blessed my friends!