Funny Moment

For weeks Gabe has been asking this...So today Gabe asked me again if he was going to be reported? I said what? He asked again and I said No. I said reported for what? He said you know for the treasure box. Then I asked him if Mrs. Ingram says that? He said no. I was like well where did you hear that and he said from me. So, I continued to question him....then it finally dawned on me (after several weeks now) that he meant rewarded! Duh!

A little excitement

So we were still asleep when Gabe woke up this morning and to my surprise he did notice his V-Smile. He ran out to Gea & Poppie and told her that someone put it in his room and he thought that it was because he stayed in his bed all night, haha. Not quite the reason but glad he stayed in his bed.

Stripped Away Take 2

So I didn't know what to expect when we took all of Gabe's things out of his room. I thought the impact would be huge but once everything settled and the day went on it was just a topic of discussion that came up again and again. Gabe went to his friend Aden's house to play. I finished taking down and packing away the Christmas decorations and adding all of our new treasures we bought in Abilene yesterday. It actually was a good rest of the day. My heart is a little sad each time I walk by his room and their is nothing in there. It makes me want to just be done with it, throw in the towel, and restock his shelves. But I want him to learn the lesson that he does need to care about his things and that he is a blessed little boy who has lots of wonderful things to play with and be responsible for. So, since today he was good overall we decided to put one toy back into his room. His V-Smile that he got for Christmas. I kind of have these expectations that he will awake in the morning to his V-Smile and grab it like it is Christmas morning and be so excited to have a toy to play with. But I am sure it won't go exactly as I have envisioned, ha! I am sure he will stumble from his bed if he hasn't already crawled into someone else's by morning and announce it is morning, requesting cartoons, and a cup of milk. Well, let's hope it is with good manners at least. We shall see...until morning.....

Stripped Away

I started off the morning with Lily screaming. I went in to see what was going on and my mom was changing her diaper and she was in full protest! As I left her room with her in my arms I noticed Gabe in the bathroom. Gabe decided to slam the bathroom door in our face which resulted in him playing in his room instead of watching television.

Gabe kept complaining about being in his room so I suggested that we just get rid of his toys, give them to someone who would appreciate them and take care of them. He didn't think that was such a great idea. So, I decided that since he was going to be in his room, it was Saturday with no agenda that I would purge his toys and just organize for the new year with his help. So, I started that process, Gabe eagerly helped me. Then he slowly drifted out of interest. He couldn't watch tv but he managed to sneak his way to the end of the hallway so he could catch a glimpse of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. So, I told him that he needed to come and help which resulted in him telling me he didn't want to. I said but Gabe we really need to take care of the things that God has given us. Well, he didn't think so. So, I once again suggested that we just box up everything and give it to someone who wanted it and which then his response was, I Don't Care! Fine I thought, I don't care either.

So, before I knew it my reorganizing, purging, turned into a hurry to just put things together, throw out the broken things and get it in the garage. With Bill's full support and help we boxed, bagged, and corralled all of his toys and moved them to the garage.

With Gabe in full revolt we sat on the couch and watched as we moved everything "fun" into the garage. With tears streaming down his face we hauled and moved his stuff all to hopefully drive home the point. We really do need to be thankful and appreciate all the things God has given us.

He has had such a selfish, negative, ungrateful attitude lately and I am no longer going to tolerate it. He has no respect for people or his things. I don't want to wait until he is 11 years old to try and drive home this point. I want to nip it when he is still moldable and changeable. I feel like some how we have fallen short yet again to teach him but I don't know where. I feel like he is growing up in a well-balanced home.

I am just praying for this to hit home, to sink in, to change his thinking even just a little bit. He is smarter than we give credit for and understands more than we think. When it's time to manipulate a situation he can figure it out quite well. I am tired of fighting this battle daily to play with toys that just sit and collect dust.

Then I wonder if we are just giving him too much. Do we spoil him. Do we give give give to some how make us feel better? I don't feel like we do. I think we try and make it balance out that he gets rewarded with good things. He doesn't just get things every single time we go to a store. Perhaps I need to come up with more creative ways for him to give back and give to others.

Fruitful Living In 2010

It's so hard to think that I don't live a fruitful life. I don't see myself as not willing to take the plunge, or willing to do God's will when he wants. But it's the cyclical cyclone that I often find myself in wondering if I will ever grow. I feel like I am still in the same spot with my relationship with God. It's that daily struggle to get in the word, the lack of prayer, then to result in unsureness, dissatisfaction, unhappiness, and then frustration. It all starts with my lack of time spent with Him. It seems like a simple solution but often times impossible to follow through on.

I have been belting out Who Am I? for the past 2 weeks. "Who am I, that you would love me so gently?, who am I, that you would recognize my name?, Lord who am I, that you would speak to me so softly, conversations with the Lord most high who am I?"

After going to church yesterday Patrick asked us where we were in our lives. What is consuming you and all I could think of was this song. For the past 2 weeks it has consumed my thoughts when cleaning, doing laundry, facebooking...whatever. I think that is my question. Who am I? Who am I in Christ? I know the many roles I play at home as a wife, mother, friend, hostess, daughter...etc. I always over look the role of daughter of the king, friendship with my creator.

For the next week I am going to follow through with Patrick's requests and re-read 2 Peter 1:3-9 and ask God to show me what I need to change, adjust, and mend to live a fruitful 2010.

Amish Friendship Bread

Start The Mix-Combine:

1 cup milk

1 cup flour

1 cup sugar

Mix in a zip-top bag and squeeze it together until mixed in. This is day 1. Continue with the rest of normal instructions.
Note: Do not refrigerate the starter. Keep it at room temperature.

Amish Friendship Bread

Day 1: Receive starter from a friend.
Day 2-5: Mush closed bag twice a day.
Day 6: Add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup milk. Mush bag.
Day 7-9: Mush bag and release air twice a day.
Day 10: Add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup milk. This is the day you make your bread.

First measure three 1 cup starters and put them in three separate bags. Save one for yourself and give the other two to friends.

Pour remaining batter into a large bowl and add the following ingredients:
1 cup oil
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 large box instant vanilla pudding

Mix ingredients well. In a bowl, mix together 1 tsp. cinnamon and 1/2 cup sugar. Grease two loaf pans. Pour batter into loaf pans, and sprinkle top with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Bake at 35o degrees for 40-50 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans. This does really well in the freezer.

Contentment

Why do I get bogged down so much with the status quo? After going to another huge house last night for a Christmas party I left feeling unsure as to why God blesses some people with so much and other's with just enough and some with not much at all. Of course I would love the house that is full of granite, hardwood floors, tall ceilings, crown moulding, and cabinet space one could only dream of. But then I was talking with Bill on the way home about how I felt and I was reminded that those people are just in the same situation we are in they just have more money. They all struggle with contentment, they all strive for the higher calling and yet still fail every day, they all want something more. I got up this morning to read this passage from Proverbs 16:18-20 which reads "Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall. Better to live humbly with the poor tan to share plunder with the proud. Those who listen to instruction will proser, those who trust the Lord will be joyful." I was once again reminded that I need to just trust the Lord because that is where my true joy comes from. I need to fix my eyes on Him and not on the beautiful, lavish things of this world. I have a beautiful home, a healthy family, 2 cars that we OWN, a job that is flexible, I get to stay home with my children and not even worry about our finances. We are blessed beyond measure. When I get looking around at everything people have and start paralleling our lives I get so bogged down and unsatisfied with my life. Never once do I feel discontent when my focus is right, when my gaze is fixed on Him.

Turn my eyes from worthless things, and give me life through your word. Ps 119:37

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith because of the joys awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God's throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people;s then you won't become weary and give up. After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin. Hebrews 12:1-4