Friday...

When we got home from our fun morning adventure on Friday I got on my computer and saw the news. My hearts sank. I cried a lot. 

After Friday's horrific events I couldn't help but soak up my kiddos this weekend. I couldn't help but think that everything they did was precious, and wonderful, and perfect.

Being a mom to these three is one of the absolute greatest joys and blessings of my life. I cannot begin to imagine what the parents in Connecticut who lost their children are feeling.

It is such a struggle when horrific things happen to understand "why". And while I have no answers and can not wrap my mind around it at all, I find comfort in the fact that God was the same God on Friday that he was the day before. And that he is good and works all things out for good... even when we can't see it right now.

I thought of this song this weekend and it was a good reminder for me of what Jesus has done for those who have put our hope and faith in Him.



My hope is that we don't quickly forget. I saw a lot of people online sharing the same sentiment of appreciating their own children so much more and hugging them much tighter. Let's not go back to taking them for granted. The urgency we felt on Friday is the urgency that exists daily. None of us knows the number of our own days or those of our children. And while we should not live in fear we should live making each day with our children count. Everyday we should be asking ourselves if we have prayed with our children today, shared the gospel with them today, hugged them today, told them "I love you" today....

Tomorrow is a blogger day of silence for the victims at Sandy Hook so I won't be on here tomorrow. Visit here for all of the details if you are interested in participating. It will be a wonderful reminder to use tomorrow to pray for those parents (and grandparents, aunts and uncles, etc) that our hearts are so broken for.



I hope you all have a good Monday today and enjoy this week leading up to Christmas!

Linking up today at The Better Mom and The Modest Mom!

10 weeks to go...

I am 30 weeks today! Wow! That is just crazy! When I posted this photo on Instagram I had to ask if it would be socially acceptable to wear comfy pants for the next 10 weeks... I was kind of serious...

Things are going well though. We had an ultrasound last week and our little guy looks awesome! The doc is not concerned at all with our little man anymore which was a wonderful early Christmas present for this mama. They said he weights about 2 pounds, 14 ounces right now so his growth is no longer a concern and his heart and palette look great. Yay! Also, I passed my glucose test and my doctor's only concern was that my iron levels are a little low. He suggested trying to get a little more iron through food. Steak for dinner? If you insist...

I have also reached the point where getting to my own toes and breathing at the same time is a difficult endeavor. Lucky for me, I have the best husband ever. After offering to send me to get a pedicure to which I declined because A) I am feeling cheap this time of year and B) I really didn't want to have to shave my legs... the hubs offered to paint my toes himself. Oh how I love that man! And he actually did a really good job. If computer programming doesn't pan out I think he has a real future in toenails....

Also, in the wake of preparing for baby, our other baby might be dealing with a little bit of regression...

This guy is a wildcard for sure. We were at lunch with a friend and her baby yesterday and the baby was doing the "yelling to hear his own voice" little thing that babies do. Jack walked up to him and covered his mouth with his hand and said, "stop it baby". Yeah, I might have my hands full....

Despite a little anxiety about how Jack will do and a little pressure to get every nook and cranny of my home clean and organized, we could not be more excited for our little Quatro to get here! We love him so much already.

{Thanksgiving Weekend}

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend. Max is sick so he and I are lounging around the house this morning hoping that rest = recuperation. The poor guy was up all night last night coughing. Reactive airway disease is the pits - side effect of being born a few weeks too early. 

The hubs took the younger two to Wal-Mart this morning to get a new tire. Yep. We need another new tire. This one is for the car though. I had to grab this pic of Jack in his adorable penguin hat and new coat from Grandma before he left... that wild boy melts my heart (in related news... I cropped the toy gun he is holding in his hands out of the picture...)

Not sure what the rest of our weekend will look like now that we have a sicky, but I am still thankful for the family time and the chance to just be together as a family. I am thinking tonight is the night to pop Elf in the DVD player and get this Christmas season started right.

To catch up a little I thought I would add in a little list of things I am thankful for...

• A long weekend with the hubs at home. Lots of time just the 5 of us (plus our furry babies of course)  has been wonderful.
• Christmas music on the radio... it makes me smile.
• Online shopping... I might manage to avoid actually having to go into a store to buy any of my gifts this year... yay for avoiding long lines and crowded parking lots!
• Lots of moving and shaking from Baby #4. I think he and Jack tie for most active baby in the womb so far... start praying for me now, Friends! 
• Fireplaces and coffee on super chilly days.
• A hubs that takes care of our family so well and works hard to get things done for us.

Enjoy your weekend!

What I am loving lately...

Just thought I would take a minute and share some things I am loving lately...

OPI Shatter polish. Have you seen it? Tried it? I bought some in silver. Below is a really bad pic of my nails painted blue with the silver shatter polish on top. First of all... it is super fun to sit and watch it crackle as you paint your nails. But even better... this stuff is rock hard... no chipping! I had mine for over a week and had to take it off only because my nails were growing out too much. This gold might be fun for the holidays over some red polish? (By the way, I got mine at Target)

Catan Junior. I love playing board games as a family and Nick loves Settlers of Catan. Me, not so much. But, when I saw this junior version I thought maybe it would be more my speed. And it totally is. The game is for ages 6 and up but Soph at age 4 can play with a little coaching and seems to enjoy it. Nick and I actually enjoyed this game so much we have played a few times by ourselves after the kiddos are in bed. Ha!

 My new Keurig! I got the Platinum edition one. I got it at Kohls when it was on sale and I had a 30% off coupon. I am mildly obsessed with this thing. And the kids love using it to make hot chocolate. I also got the nifty drawer thing underneath at Sams to store my K-cups in for $10.

 And speaking of... my favorite K-cup so far is definitely these Donut Shop Coconut Mocha ones. Deliciously yummy. And even better? I used the Kohl's cash I got when buying the Keurig to score a pack of these babies and a pack of green tea for free.

I am also enjoying reading "What's It Like to be Married to Me?" By Linda Dillow. It is a really good read so far and gives a ton of food for thought. I like to read at least one marriage book every year and this one is definitely one I would recommend.



So, do you have any things/products you are loving lately?

Weekend... come back! {Please}

Happy Monday from me and my little bff...

Our weekend seemed to fly by despite its slow pace. It was wonderful. On Friday night we had a get together with our small group from church. It was supposed to be an outdoor thing at our new church property but the cold and rain made for changed plans. A wonderful lady, Tawnya, in our group offered up her home and it was great. The guys got to watch the Cards game and we ate delicious soups (um... pretty sure I am still dreaming about Tawnya's chicken fajita soup... I might have had 2 huge bowls of it) and played games. It was so much fun. I love our small group!

Saturday morning Max had a soccer game but it was super cold. He basically refused to play the whole game (awesome) so the little kiddos and I left at half time. We spent the rest of the day hanging around the house. I made some amazing Cranapple Turkey Wraps for lunch, apple butter, my favorite Sweet Potato Chili, and apple crisp. It was the perfect kind of fall day!

Yesterday we went to church (an awesome message! Listen to it here) and then headed home. In the evening we celebrated Max's birthday with my parents and grandma. We went to Red Lobster for dinner (Max's choice) and then went back to Grandma June's for cake and ice-cream. Then we made a quick run to Target with my parents to exchange some boots my mom got Sophie and so Max could use his birthday money from Grandma June to pick a toy. Max kept telling me it was the "best birthday" he has ever had!

I will say that the ONLY good thing about the weekend being over is that tomorrow is our big ultrasound! We have decided to go ahead and find out the gender and I am really excited! There were a lot of factors that went into that decision and I feel total peace about it! 

I thought I would leave you with some Instagram pics from the last week.

Sister Bear "helped" me make brownies

We love our Scout

We made it to the end of the trail at Fantastic Caverns

Sophie holding 2 caterpillars she found at big cedar. She loves bugs!

Me at 19 1/2 weeks

Amazing sweet potato chili in the crock pot

Is there anything better than a fire with these cooler temps? 

I added some apple butter to my pancakes Sunday morning. YES!

I got some new make-up and hair products this week and it made getting ready for church on Sunday very exciting!

Sophie girl hosting a tea party on Sunday afternoon

P.S. I really need a new book to read! I really love to read Christian non-fiction more than anything. Anything on womanhood, parenting, marriage, etc. Does anyone have any recommendations? I recently finished 7 by Jen Hatmaker and absolutely adored it! What have you all been reading?

The lady at the grocery store...

You are at the grocery store with your three children all under the age of 5... what was supposed to be a trip for milk and eggs turned into a cartful of random groceries and crabby kids. Every 5 minutes someone is asking to buy something with cartoon characters on the front, the baby grabs the loaf of bread and is smashing it up, your 2 year old has to go to the bathroom twice in the 20 minutes you are at the store and you finally get to the checkout line... sweet light at the end of the tunnel. You start unloading your groceries and a little older lady behind you says something to the effect of, "oh, I remember those days! Enjoy them because before you know it they are gone and your kids are all grown-up like mine"... and if you are feeling friendly you will smile and nod but deep down you are annoyed. This lady doesn't remember how hard it is with little kids. Enjoy it? I am just trying to survive it!

I am not sure if this scenario has ever happened to you... or anything similar. But, I have seen some similar articles online about things like this and I can totally relate personally.But, I think the reality is... the lady at the store isn't saying that to belittle what you are doing. She isn't saying it because she doesn't know how hard it is to raise little ones. In fact, she probably did it with more kids and without the advantages of Disney Jr. and microwave chicken nuggets at her disposal. She knows how hard it is... But, she is trying to point you to the bigger picture... And the bigger picture is that we really will miss these days. The bigger picture is that our children really are only little for a short window of time. And the bigger picture is that children aren't given to us to burden us and weigh us down.

In reality, most of us chose (and were given that opportunity by the grace of God) to be mom's. Motherhood is not a prison sentence that someone put on us. It is a blessing and an opportunity to love hard and serve well.

I am not saying it is always easy. I am right there in the trenches with all of you and I know that there can be hard moments. Really hard moments. But, if we can make the effort to keep our eyes on the bigger picture and keep our focus there I know that we will all have the opportunity to truly enjoy these years. And instead of being annoyed with the lady in the super market we should be thanking her for pointing us back to the right place...

I am linking up at Growing Home and Women Living Well!

Let's Hear it for the Moms!

The picture above is my mom and grandma with Sophie and I on her first birthday. I love this picture because these two ladies played such a huge role in who I am today. My mother and grandma have always been my biggest fans, encouragers, and cheerleaders. And now that I am older I can also say that they two of my best friends in the whole world. 

I have an amazing mom. I talk to her every single day. My mom is one of those people that if you need her... she is there. No matter what. My mother is one of the most selfless people I know. She worked when we were growing up but I always said I didn't really know it. Because, when she was home, she was just mom.  She always made us a priority. And now she is the most amazing grandma. She loves my kids so much and is such an important part of my life. Even when we lived farther away she drove up almost once a month just to see Max. She gives my kids her time and they love her so much for it. They have such a special relationship.

My own grandma was always my absolute favorite person in the world. She is everything a grandma should be! Loving, giving, generous... One of my favorite things about her is she has always talked to me like a grown-up, even as a little bitty kid. She has never talked down to me. She has always treated me as if my thoughts, ideas, and opinions mattered. It has meant so much to me and as I am a mom now I always try to do the same with my own children. It always made me feel so valued. And she was there for us when we moved to St. Louis and had no where to live. She took us in and let us take over her life and acted as if she liked it. I can never repay for her all that she has done for me. But, I hope to pass on her amazing legacy of love and generosity into the next generation! 

So, with that I must say Happy Mother's Day! Most of what I write in this blog is about my love for motherhood which I have because I have always seen motherhood done well. I am grateful for that and am grateful for mothers, especially the ones who have given so selflessly to me.'s So thank you Mom and Grandma! 

Loving when people don't love back

I just wanted to drop in today and offer some encouragement to any of you that are struggling in relationships with family or friends. I am an oldest child which tends to equal perpetual people pleaser. I love to have people like me and I have a desire to be friends with everyone. But, over the last several years I am learning that not everyone is going to like me or want to be friends with me and honestly, this still kind of kills me. I love people and long to be accepted! And there was a time (and are still moments) when I would do or say just about anything to make that happen.

I went through a period of really struggling in this area because I was struggling in a few relationships I had.  Christians in my life who were putting enormous pressure on me to "love my enemies" and it would fix everything. The thing was that I WAS "loving my enemies" they just weren't loving back! I was believing that if I did everything God's way that everyone would like me. But, God never promises us that everyone will like us. In fact, he kind of promises us the opposite. And in the past year or so I am realizing that loving our enemies is not something we necessarily do FOR our enemies. And it is not a formula to get people to like us. But, it is a way we can be obedient to God.

It is hard when people don't accept me or desire to be friends with me. But, I just want to offer encouragement that if you are in a difficult relationship the only one you need to worry about pleasing is God. If you are showing someone in your life lots of love and encouragement and they don't respond or if they respond negatively, remember the one who you are really doing it for.


I am linking up at Women Living Well!

I love you because...

I am very thankful for my amazing husband and had been wanting to think of new ways to let him know just how studly I think he is.

 I saw this idea on Pinterest and thought it would be fun to recreate it for myself. I stuck one of these babies in a frame, grabbed a dry erase marker and put it on our bathroom counter right by where the hubs shaves off his mountain man beard and brushes his pearly whites. That way he will see it every day. And of course I wanted the first message to really catch his attention...

 But, seriously, this is a great place for me to let my favorite guy know just how much he means to me and how thankful I am for how he serves our family.

P.S. If you don't want to make your own I will happily e-mail you the one I made in Word and then you can pop it into your favorite frame. Just shoot me an e-mail at KatieLRamsey(at)gmail(dot)com.

I am linking up today at The Better Mom and Growing Home!

Max's first soccer game and why I hope to always be a Stay at Home Mom

 Max, my 5 year old, had his first soccer game this weekend. The poor child was not passed down much athletic ability genetically through his father or myself. He hasn't really shown much interest in sports up until now so I wasn't really sure how he would do. But, honestly, he did great. He didn't kick the ball much but he stayed with the team and ran around and had a great attitude. For it being his first game with only one practice before I would have to say he did great!

 It also didn't hurt that he had quite the cheering section... Max's Grandma and Grandpa and his Aunt Emily and Uncle Simon were all there to cheer him on.

 I am so beyond thankful that my kids have such a wonderful family. I love that my parents and sister and her husband are always there for my kiddos. They come to games and dance recitals and are such a huge part of my kids lives. My kids love their grandparents (and frankly, prefer them to Nick and I). I am so thankful that we live so close. Although, I know that even if we didn't my parents would be incredibly involved and try to make it to as much as possible.

They are such an amazing example of grandparents that I hope to always be able to be a "stay at home mom" so that I can be those kind of grandparents for my grand kids as well. I hope to be able to be able to attend all of their activities and if they live farther away travel to visit them very frequently. I just see how special that bond is and I can't wait to keep it up!

I know a lot of grandmas have to work (actually my own mom works but thankfully she is a teacher so we get her all to ourselves in the summer) but I can see so much benefit to not working out of the home even when my children are grown. Aside from obviously being able to serve my husband and church wholeheartedly I love that I could also really serve my adult children by being available to help them. As a mom of young children I know what an amazing blessing it is to have help and I hope to be that for my children (and moms in my church as well).

Linking up at The Modest Mom, Raising Arrows, Growing Home and

{Thank you}

Thank you so much for all of you that prayed for me Saturday morning. I felt them for sure. I think my speaking engagement with the Effingham MOPS group went pretty well. You know how it is... I felt like I was terrible but all of my feedback was positive... but then people aren't likely to come up and say, "wow, that was just not good at all..." Ha! But seriously, I couldn't have been blessed with a nicer group of ladies to speak with!

I also got a few questions on my last blog post on our new family consequences chart. If you are interested please shoot me an e-mail and I would be happy to e-mail you the Word document that you can edit to fit your own family. E-mail me at KatieLRamsey(at)gmail(dotcom).

I will be back later this week with a post on my sister and my new hobby: {freezer cooking} and a post on modesty. Have a blessed Monday.

Speaking

Hello Friends!
Sorry I have been blog absent this week. I have actually been asked to speak at a MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) event in Effingham, IL this weekend. Actually, speaking stresses me out. I feel so unequipped! But, my wonderful friend Elizabeth asked me and I would do just about anything for her! So, most of my mental energy has been spent preparing stressing about that! If you think of it, please pray for me on Saturday!

Thank you! See you next week with some real blog posts!

If a picture is worth a thousand words...

Sometimes no picture at all is worth more...

I love to take pictures of my kids. I love to capture those very special moments. I get out my camera and try to make sure I am capturing the beauty of the moment just right. I take 20 shots of one moment trying to make sure I capture how wonderful the moment is... I take a picture from every angle so I can remember exactly how wonderful the moment was.

And I miss the moment trying to capture it....

Yesterday we took our kiddos to Indian Camp Creek Park. We played in their little man made creek next to the playground. It was the most gorgeous day. The sky was so blue. The trees were so green. The kids splashed in the mud and water. They threw rocks. Every moment would have created a beautiful picture. But, I didn't have my camera. But, instead of trying to capture all of those beautiful moments- I got to live them. I got to throw rocks and get splashed with muddy water. I got to live the moment instead of trying to capture it. And sometimes that is worth even more.

Happy Wednesday! I thought I would just write some a little random list of things going on right now...

I meet with two of my good friends from my small group on Wednesday mornings for prayer. It is awesome. Those girls speak truth and love like nobody's business. I am making them these.

Oh, I felt I should clarify I am pretty decided on next year's curriculum. There are so many amazing resources out there and I think lots of them are good. Yesterday's post was more about my own fears and not really about curriculum. When I actually take the plunge and purchase I will share what we are using.

The hubs and I watched Forks Over Knives last night. We both found it really interesting. And I always love hearing about doctors that actually focus on diet rather than running to medication.

That last update reminds me I need to do a kid update. I haven't talked much about how Max has been doing since we were encouraged by our doctor to make some diet changes last year.

Yesterday was the first day of Spring and I am so excited! Although, we have been enjoying beautiful weather for a few weeks now. I took this picture last week...

Worry

I am a little bit of a worrier. I tend to stress about things. This has been especially true as I have been looking into homeschool curriculum. I feel such a huge weight as I take on my children's education into my own hands. I want to make sure I am not short changing them in any way. I have been stressing a lot.

I am reading "The Duties of Parents" By J.C. Ryle right now. When I came upon this section it totally stuck with me and made me realize a lot about my worrying. Ryle writes:

"But, I also know that God says expressly, "train up a child in the way he should go," and that He never laid a command on man which He would not give man grace to perform. And I know, too, that our duty is not to stand still and dispute, but to go forward that God will meet us. The path of obedience is the way in which He gives the blessing. We have only to do as the servants were commanded at the marriage feast in Cana, to fill the water-pots with water, and we may safely leave it to the Lord to turn that water into wine."

I only have to obey. I don't need to worry and fret about the outcome. I need to seek God daily and walk in obedience. Then God will do the miracle...

On being a mom...

Being a mom really changes a person... or more than that, Jesus really changes a person. I have wanted to be a mom my entire life. Being a mom and wife has always been my big career goal. I went to college to get my MRS (I went ahead and got a Bachelors of Science while I was there... ) But, my vision of motherhood now compared to my vision of motherhood as a little girl has changed drastically.

When I was young I thought of motherhood in terms of caring for my future children's physical needs. I thought about feeding them and bathing them. I thought about dressing them up in cute, matching outfits. I thought of throwing them birthday parties and decorating their bedrooms. And I carried on with this as my mindset even when I was pregnant with my first child. I was consumed with decorating the nursery, buying clothes, picking out just the right bouncy seat and swing. These were the important things.

But, now that I am a few years into motherhood I feel like I was so shallow back then. I totally didn't have any grasp of what being a mom is actually about. Sure, I do have to meet the physical needs of my children. And this is certainly the most time consuming part of my "job". And let's be honest, putting a flowery headband on a little girl or a sweet sweater vest on your little guy is one of the perks of the job.

But, I find that the most important part of my job and the most mentally consuming part of my job is caring for the hearts and minds. Encouraging, teaching, talking with, listening, training and disciplining... the inside stuff. That is what being a mom is about down at the core. Giving love and affirmation to our children, giving them a vision for eternity- what else could matter more?

Anyone can care for our children's needs. And a lot of people do it well. I am not the only one that can dress my child or feed them breakfast. And, in reality, I am not the only one that can teach them about God or touch their hearts in some way. But, since I am their mom, I do know them better than anyone else. And I believe as my children's mom God has given me a heart for my children that no one else has. I can't imagine any one else loving my children more than I do, having the same vision for their lives, caring for their hearts quite like I do (except for Jesus of course).

I am not saying it is wrong to decorate our kiddos rooms or put them in cute outfits (I like to do these things to). But, those things can't be the priority. Because, to put it plainly, if our children had adorable bedrooms, perfect outfits, and the most outrageous birthday parties in the neighborhood but we did not take the time everyday to speak to their hearts and pour into their souls that I believe we have failed. Being a mother is not about helping our children keep up with the Jones's... it is about touching their hearts for eternity.

I want to encourage all of us as moms to take a step back and take a hard look at where we are focusing our energy. Have we prayed with our children today? Have we prayed for them? Have we read them a good book and asked what they thought about it? Have we snuggled and tickled and laughed and chased? Today, let's do the job that only we as their moms can do for them. I don't think we will regret it.

My new word

I am at a new season in life where God is teaching me to use a new word. It is a word that I really don't like to say and I avoid it at all costs. It is "no". Specifically, it is saying "no" to a lot of really fun things. 

I am a social butterfly by nature. I love to be with people. I love having friends and getting together. I love community. But, at this time in my life with three young kiddos, my husband's work schedule, church stuff, and homeschooling on the horizon I just don't have the free time I used to have. I need to be at home most days in order for things to run smoothly in our home and in order to get done everything I need to get done. 

It has been REALLY hard for me to say "no" lately. The hardest one just today was having to say "no" to being in a morning Bible study with some ladies at church. It is a group of really neat ladies! And come on, it is a Bible study! Surely God approves of studying the Bible! And He does! But, I just knew He was saying "no" to this one... at least right now. I knew if I said yes I would become too busy and I would be inconsistent in my attendance and inconsistent in getting things done at home. But, man, it was so hard to say "no" to such a great opportunity!

I also had to say "no" to getting together with some girls and an amazing older woman who is willing to help mentor us in homeschooling. It was a great opportunity. But, I know I can't do it all.

But, I also realize that as hard as it is to say "no". And if you know me you know that it is really, really hard... Everytime I say "no" I also get to say "yes". "Yes" to these sweet little faces who will only be little for a very short time...

I am linking up at The Better Mom, These 5 of Mine, Plus Two, The Modest Mom, Women Living Well and The Straightened Path.

Random Thursday

Edit: This post has been updated with an additional link thanks to a comment!

Since yesterday's post was titled Random Wednesday and I have 3 or 4 things to post today I thought it was only fitting that today's post be titled, Random Thursday. So, here we go...

So by now most of you have probably seen this video circulating around Facebook

I watched it and was very moved. I absolutely hate that this is going on. However, after doing my own research I have decided that while I would love to do something I personally do not feel that this organization is the best use of my money. I checked them out on Charity Navigator and then found a few articles that were posted by people I respect. I encourage you to read these in particular to make your own decision. (In all fairness here is the response to these articles for you to read: http://allafrica.com/stories/201203080906.html) What stood out most to me was where the money is actually going.... to the Ugandan government which has proven itself corrupt. I just encourage everyone to do their research before sending money to any organization to make sure it is one that is actually improving people's situations instead of intensifying them. I think as Christians we have a responsibility to give to those who are poor and cannot help themselves. These children absolutely qualify as the least of these and deserve our attention. We sponsor two children through Compassion International and I love the work that they are doing within the communities to help children. I also love World Vision and Amazima.

On a totally unrelated note... the pot roast I made last night was amazing. It was not the dry, hard to swallow pot roast I am used to. I served it over mashed potatoes with lots of the juice. Yum-o! Here is the recipe. And a picture-

Looking at that picture kind of makes me want to run to the fridge and start devouring the leftovers. But, since it is not even 8:30 in the morning yet I guess I can hold off for a little bit longer.

And last but not least, how cute is my dog?

Random Wednesday Post

Happy Wednesday! Man, here in the midwest it has been so windy lately. I am getting sick of being almost blown away every time I step outside! It is like a tease to have such warm weather that can't be enjoyed!

Our Wednesdays are usually dedicated to me getting together with the girls in our small group in the morning for prayer and then small group in the evening. Both were cancelled tonight due to lots of illness so our day has been wide open. It has been nice to get a chance to do some much needed catching up on some things. The kiddos and I went to the grocery store this morning. I am trying a new pot roast recipe for dinner. I thought I would give the Pioneer Woman's a try. I want to love pot roast but most of the time when I have them they are so dry. Hopefully this recipe will deliver. I will let you know.

In other news, did anyone else happen to catch Pastor Mark and Grace Driscoll on the View today? You can see a clip here. I thought they did great! The ladies gave them a hard time... and you know how Whoopie and Joy get when someone disagrees with their beliefs... But, I think Mark and Grace spoke truth and were awesome.

I also really enjoyed this article over at The Better Mom today called "Dressing to Attract". I think they did a great job of getting to the heart of modesty. Such a great reminder.

Well, there is laundry to fold! Have a great day!

Ordinary

I follow author Lysa TerKeurst on Facebook. She is always posting fabulous things. But, I was especially touched by her post this morning because it spoke right to my own heart and what I was feeling. Lysa says,

Oh how I thank God for the very common and ordinary spots of my life.
Standing at the sink watching the kids do their homework at the sticky farm table.
Sitting on the front steps to welcome home my husband.
Cutting flowers from the bush that just bloomed in my front yard.
Oh what the world calls ordinary, I call the best.

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I love that. It is the "very common and ordinary spots in my life" that I am most thankful for this morning.

I am thankful for getting to wake up to my 4 favorite faces in the world every morning. I am thankful that I get to stay home and raise my children. That I get to be the one to train them and teach them and kiss boo boos and read books for the 100th time. I am thankful for my hilarious husband doing dances in the kitchen... for the sole purpose of making me laugh. I am thankful that he makes me my breakfast every morning. I am spoiled. I am thankful for my coffee in the morning. I am thankful for all the people I get to sit around the dinner table with. I am thankful for my fluffy bed that I fall into at night... earlier and earlier these days. I am thankful for friends who pray for me and with me. And all of these things are ordinary but like Lysa says, "Oh what the world calls ordinary, I call the best."