Shocking!

My laptop power supply informed me this morning that it's time to take a bit of a break from the computer.

At least, that's how I interpreted the sparking and smoking.

I'll be back once a replacement power supply arrives.

Miss me? Good. I'll miss you, too.

TILT: Beco Baby Carrier

When I was pregnant with David, I started researching baby carriers. I knew that my hands would be full trying to take care of a toddler and a newborn; a good baby carrier seemed like a great way to simplify things. When David was brand-new and tiny, we used a Maya Wrap, a Moby Wrap, and a Baby Bjorn, and were pretty happy with all three.

But then something happened. David, who started out so scrawny (seriously - his legs were like toothpicks!) began to fill out. Now, 8 months later, he's enormous - around 25 lbs, wearing 18-month size clothes, and taller than most babies twice his age. Carrying him in a front carry makes my back hurt within a few minutes; longer than a few minutes, and I'll be in pain for days. It just wasn't working for us!

I researched soft structured carriers that are good for back carry positions, and came to two choices: the Ergo and the Beco. I talked to friends that have used both, and got their ideas of the pros and cons of each. I chose the Beco for two reasons: it is more adjustable for larger people, and the back panel comes up higher, making baby feel more secure.

I ordered my Beco and have used it regularly ever since! It doesn't hurt my back, it's very secure for David, and it's fairly easy to get on and off. It rolls up nicely for portability, and it quickly adjusts so that James can also carry David. Wendy is also within the weight limit, and she loves riding in "David's carrier" just for fun.

If you're in the market for a soft structured carrier, check out a Beco - I highly recommend them!






For more recommendations, visit Things I Love Thursday at The Diaper Diaries!

WFMW: Quick Chocolate Fix

Hi, my name is Jeni, and I'm a chocoholic.

(All together now..."Hi, Jeni!")

I try not to keep chocolate readily available in the house, because I have no willpower. I'll have one piece of candy or one cookie and then go back for a couple more...and one more...until they're all gone. Trying to keep temptations out of the house helps a great deal.

But then there are times when the chocolate craving cannot be denied. I'll go rifling through the cupboards, looking for something, anything chocolate. One of my favorite things to do when that intense craving strikes is make No-Bake Cookies. They're fast, they use ingredients I always have on hand, and they're very yummy. Plus, they are made with oatmeal, so that's practically healthy, right?!

No-Bake Cookies
1 3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 cup butter
4 Tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
3 cups quick-cooking oats
1 tsp vanilla

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, milk, butter and cocoa powder. Bring to a full boil, and cook for 1 1/2 minutes, stirring continuously. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter, oats, and vanilla. Drop by heaping teaspoons onto waxed paper. Cool until hardened.

What do you do when that irresistible craving strikes?
For more great tips and ideas, visit Works-For-Me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family!

Top Ten Tuesday: Rainy Day Activities

Cold, rainy days are my least favorite as a stay-at-home Mom. I don't mind the occasional dreary day - it's a good excuse to be lazy and do a lot of snuggling. But around here, it seems like from November to May, all it does is rain, rain, rain - and being trapped indoors with a 3 year old is enough to try the patience of a saint!

I struggle with coming up with creative, constructive things to do indoors. The goal is not just to keep everyone entertained and happy, but to also help them to learn and grow and discover. I decided to brainstorm and come up with a list of activities to refer to during the rainy season; I hope sharing it here will help some other mother out there keep her sanity!

Top Ten Rainy Day Activities

1. Play-Doh - Wendy loves Play-Doh! It's so versatile; we use it to make objects (animals, snowmen, etc.) but it's also good for practicing letters and numbers.

2. Water Play - whether in the bathtub or the kitchen sink, water play is fun for everybody! Switch up your usual water toys and try some safe kitchen implements - ice cube trays, measuring cups, strainers, and bowls can make for a great playtime. It's also a good time to talk about comparisons and practice motor skills like pouring and stirring.

3. Dress-Up - we have a bin of odd clothes, eccentric costume jewelry, hats, purses, feather boas, and old sunglasses. Since our collection is primarily girl-oriented, we've started to add things for when David gets older, like a fireman's hat and old neckties. Playing dress-up is a great exercise for the imagination, and can lead to several hours of pretend play.

4. Movie Marathon - okay, okay, so a movie marathon isn't necessarily all that creative or constructive. However, appropriately-chosen movies can be a great topic for conversation and learning. Many movies also lend themselves to themed meals or crafts. Make a pot of soup while watching "Ratatouille," or create paper dolls of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

5. Bake Cookies or Bread - I don't know if every preschooler is like this, but my daughter loves to help in the kitchen! It can be hard to find things that are safe for her to do. When I bake cookies or bread, she can help with most of the steps, and of course she loves to eat the yummy results!

6. Build Fort - we are going to do this today! Sheets, pillows, blankets, a few well-placed chairs, clothespins, broomsticks - whatever you have on hand! A fort is a great place for a special picnic lunch and a story!

7. Build a Town - I think just about everybody has some toy cars and some toy people. Why not spend some time making a town out of a stray piece of cardboard or heavy paper, and then play with it? You could make buildings out of small boxes, blocks, or small plastic containers, and draw streets and parks on the cardboard...we haven't done this yet, but I know that Wendy would get a lot of enjoyment out of it!

8. Make Puzzles - Make some kind of artwork, and turn it into a puzzle! Just cut the paper into puzzle pieces, and put it together. It's fun, inexpensive, and can be tailored to your child's age and ability.

9. Write Letters - everyone enjoys getting real handwritten notes in the mail. Spend some time writing letters or drawing pictures to send to loved ones and friends, then get them all ready to drop in the mail.

10. Cleaning - when all else fails, something in the house needs to be cleaned. My brother and I knew not to complain of boredom when we were growing up; my Mom would immediately assign us a chore like dusting or vacuuming. It only took two or three times before we got the idea!

I would love to hear your suggestions for rainy day activities, especially for preschoolers! What do you do to keep your sanity?

For more great top ten lists, visit Top Ten Tuesday at OhAmanda.com!

In My Head...

When upon life's billows you are tempest tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done

Count your blessings, name them one by one;
Count your blessings, see what God hath done;
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your many blessings see what God hath done!

Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly
And you will be singing as the days go by!

Count your blessings, name them one by one;
Count your blessings, see what God hath done;
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your many blessings see what God hath done!

So amid the conflict, whether great or small,
Do not be discouraged, God is over all!
Count your many blessings, angels will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey's end!

Count your blessings, name them one by one;
Count your blessings, see what God hath done;
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your many blessings see what God hath done!

J. Oatman, Jr. 1897

Gratuitous Cuteness

Family Friday: Working Together

We have had a lot of fun with our new Family Friday activities! So far we have basically spent time relaxing and playing, and even socializing with my brother's family. This week will be different though, because tonight...

...we're going to work.

That's right, work. On Family Friday. You see, with all of our busy-ness over the past year, we haven't made nearly as much progress as we would like towards organizing our house. We added a baby, had a yard sale, and shuffled rooms around, which made things even more chaotic. The rooms we spend the most time in aren't too bad; the kids' room, the living room, and our master bedroom are all a bit cluttered, but usable. But the dining room? It has become the dumping-off zone for anything that doesn't have a home.

Anytime clutter starts to gather, a space becomes less usable. In many homes, the loss of a dining room wouldn't be a huge problem - but in our house, it's a big deal. Not only is it the only place for us to sit down and eat together, but it's also part of the main thoroughfare in our house. You have to walk through the dining room to get anywhere, and now that involves dodging boxes of junk, the dog's crate, the baby swing we aren't using anymore, the vacuum cleaner...you get the idea.

So tonight, we're going to work together to tame the dining room. It won't be the most fun we've ever had as a family, that's for sure, but the sense of relief will be worth it.

And Saturday morning, we're going to have pancakes for breakfast, sitting all together at our dining room table!

If you would like to participate in Family Friday, please let me know! I would love to see this grow into a blog carnival, a place for us to share our ideas for & experiences with family time.

TILT: Playtex Nurser

In my 3 years and almost 4 months of being a mother, I have fixed/fed/cleaned a lot of bottles. A lot. Really. We have primarily used the very inexpensive simple Gerber or Evenflo classic bottles; we've never been thrilled with them, but they're cheap. We have one of the BPA-free Avent bottles; the wide mouth is great, but they sometimes leak & soak the baby.

When we accidentally left the diaper bag behind in Florida and didn't discover it until we were a couple of hours down the road, I had to stop at a store to get bottles. I decided to give the Playtex Drop-Ins Premium Nurser a try, since I could just switch out the liner & wash the nipple for the different feedings as we traveled.

I am in love with this system!! We now have two of the nursers and 4 of the rapid-flow nipples (the bottles come packaged w/ slow-flow), and I would rather use them than any of our other bottles. Not only are they simple to clean, but you don't even have to wash the nurser at every feeding. A quick wash of the ring, a new liner, a clean nipple, and you're good to go. The mouth of the liners & bottles is wide, making it easier to mix formula. Also? They do not leak. Ever.

I can't believe I didn't try them sooner! For more recommendations, visit Things I Love Thursday at The Diaper Diaries!

WFMW: Rice - with a caveat

I was all excited about Works-For-Me Wednesday this week, because I actually had an idea! An honest-to-goodness idea! I hadn't put it into practice yet, but surely it would work - it would be great!

My idea? An indoor sandbox for Wendy. No, I'm not crazy enough to bring actual sand into the house; I can just imagine it sifting down into our deep-pile carpet... *shudder*

I bought a medium-sized plastic tote, about twice the size of a shoebox. It has a lid that snaps on securely, which is essential if you're going to do this. Then I bought a 10 lb bag of white rice at the grocery store, and dumped it into the tote. (Are you taking notes? Because this is complicated.) I grabbed a funnel and some toy kitchen tools, plopped them into the rice, and let Wendy play! She had a great time, and I got some peace and quiet in which to cook dinner!

For about $7, we now have a nice indoor "sandbox." If the rice spills, Wendy can just sweep it up & dump it back into the box!

Caveat:
If you do this, please, for the love of your vacuum cleaner, do not leave your child unattended until it has been drilled into her head to not dump the entire 10 lb of rice onto the floor because it will make Mommy's head explode. I'm sure you're more intelligent than I am, and so you would never encounter this situation. You wouldn't turn your back on a child who is playing with bazillions of tiny pieces of rice. Good for you. Your vacuum will have a longer lifespan than mine.

For more tips and advice, visit Works-For-Me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family!

TTT: Staples

Every homemaker has their own list of "staples," personalized to their individual households. There are some obvious things that are universal - like toilet paper - but others aren't as common.

Since I'm heading to the grocery store this morning, I thought I'd share my Top Ten Staple Grocery Items for our household. (I'm only including fridge/pantry items.)

1. Milk - we have a 3 year old in the house, and she drinks at least two cups of milk a day. We go through it pretty quickly; in a few months, when David starts drinking milk, we might need to buy a cow.

2. Eggs - we eat a lot of eggs. They're cheap, healthy, and can be fixed so many different ways! My fall-back dinner for very rushed or poorly-planned nights is scrambled eggs & toast - which brings me to...

3. Bread - we try to use healthy whole-grain breads as much as possible. Occasionally we'll splurge & get a loaf of good-quality white bread, because it's yummy.

4. Peanut Butter - again with the 3 year old. James and I love peanut butter, too, but for Wendy, it's practically a food group. She LOVES peanut butter, and asks for it just about every day at some point.

5. Brown Rice - once I finally figured out how to make good brown rice, I started to prefer it to white rice. It does take longer to cook, but it's worth it for the added fiber.

6. Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts - those packages of individually-frozen chicken breasts are fantastic. I love that you can take them straight out of the freezer & put them in the oven, & they'll be great in about an hour.

7. Frozen Veggies (variety) - I love vegetables, and some of them are best frozen - green beans, peas, corn, and mixed veggies, especially. Keeping frozen veggies on hand makes it easy to add some to a casserole or soup, or to make a quick, healthy side or snack.

8. Petite Diced Tomatoes - great in soup, chili, stew, casseroles, spaghetti sauce, pasta salad, and many other things. They're especially good in the winter, when it's so hard to find good fresh tomatoes.

9. Fat-Free Cream Cheese - it's a great "secret ingredient" in lots of dishes - eggs, casseroles, mashed potatoes, anywhere that a bit of creamy tanginess is needed.

10. Fat-Free Sour Cream - one of our favorite weeknight meals is Beef Stroganoff, and it's fantastic made with fat-free sour cream; we can barely tell a difference from the full-fat version.

Those are some of the staple grocery items at our house; what kinds of things are staples for your family?

For more Top Ten Tuesday lists, visit OhAmanda.com!

Strength and Weakness

Replacing old destructive habits with new productive ones is not easy. Even when we know a change is for the best, those old habits nag at us and try to drag us down. Not everyone has the same set of bad habits, but we all have them.

I struggle with motivation - in pretty much every area of my life. Some times are easier than others; right now, I think things are going well. But in an instant, a few bad choices in a row, the space of an afternoon, I can lose my momentum and end up empty and unproductive. That inertia seems to feed on itself until it feels like the smallest task is monumental, like unloading the dishwasher or putting away the laundry is just too hard and I can't do it and why do I even try because I stink at everything.

My weakness is definitely in staying focused and motivated. But there is good news: I'm not alone. I don't have to rely on my own pitiful strength. There is One who is with me all the time, holding me up, giving me strength, showing me His promise and His hope. It's only through God that I can do anything - and through Him I can do anything!

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9

Creativity

Over at (In)Courage, Robin has issued a challenge to express our God-given creative drive this year. The first assignment is simple - write a haiku. The theme is winter; I'll follow that theme and also write some about my family.

Here goes:

Winter
A flash of scarlet
Among the bare, cold branches
Splendor with feathers


Wendy
Cold toes, tangled hair
She climbs and snuggles deep, close
Morning moments glow

David
Pudgy hands capture
A truck, a blanket, a book
And my complete heart

James
Strength, integrity
A man seeking after God
Makes his children smile

Family Friday: Chillin'

I've been looking forward to Family Friday all week long! We had a great time with my brother, sister-in-law, her brother, and our nephew last week; they're among my favorite folks for general hanging-out. This week will be just the four of us, our little core family. We've had a hard, long week and really need to spend some time together!

For dinner, we're going to make pizza together. Wendy's never helped make pizza, and she'll really enjoy it! We're also going to make ice cream sundaes, to go along with our movie:

We really enjoyed the first two Ice Age movies, and we haven't seen this one yet. We're hoping to get a few laughs out of it.

********************
Sweetness:

Sometimes I get a glimpse of the baby I knew in the big girl who has taken her place.

********************

Have a great weekend! Spend time with your loved ones, and if you write a Family Friday post, let me know!

TILT: Boon Spoon!

Not long ago, I was browsing baby gadgets and gizmos on Target's website. I don't remember what I was searching for, but I came across this Boon Squirt spoon and decided to give it a try:

Wow. Just...wow. This thing is fantastic! You just fill it up with baby food, snap the cap on, and you're ready to go! I use it if we're going to be away from home at one of David's mealtimes. The plastic bulb can hold about 3/4 of a cup, or 1 1/2 tubs of 2nd Foods.

One of the best things about this spoon is that you can use it one-handed. Today at lunchtime, I was able to feed David his bananas while simultaneously eating pizza. (We'll discuss our lopsided nutrition habits another time!)

There are only two drawbacks I can think of with this spoon. First, you do still have to USE a spoon to transfer baby food from the jar to this thing - for me, that's not a big deal. And second, there will be a little bit of food left in the spoon that you just can't get out. Again, not a big deal. I might use the spoon more at home if it was easier to fill, but it's great for on-the-go.

For more recommendations, see Things I Love Thursday at The Diaper Diaries!

WFMW: Preheating the Covers

I've mentioned before that our house is old. According to the paperwork, it was built in 1940, and everyone says it has "character." If you've ever been house shopping, you know that "character" can mean: a) foundation problems, b) plumbing problems, c) wiring problems, d) cosmetic problems, e) window/roof/siding/insulation problems, or f) all of the above. Let me just say that I do love our little house; it's charming and cute and good for our little family. But it's definitely in character category f) all of the above!

Our house is drafty and cold in the winter. The cold comes up through the floors, whistles through the windows, and breezes under the doors. There's even a strange (COLD) current of air that whooshes through our bathroom if it's windy outside. When it gets very cold, as it has been here for the last week or so, the combined efforts of our furnace & gas fireplace keep the temperature hovering in the mid-60s.

We've lived here for 3 years, and really, we're accustomed to the cold.

But at night...when you're already cold...and you slip between cold covers...that's just not nice. It takes much longer to fall asleep if you're cold. If you do fall asleep before you get warm, you won't sleep deeply. I shivered & complained & piled blankets on the bed in years past, in feeble attempts to get warm - until I had a flash of inspiration this year.

I have a heating pad.

So now, about ten minutes before I want to go to bed, I tuck that heating pad into the bed, under the covers, and crank that baby up on high. Now when I get into bed, it's toasty and warm. I can relax more quickly and fall asleep faster.

I can't believe I didn't think of it sooner. It's made a huge difference in the quality & amount of sleep I get - and believe me, with a fiery 3 year old and a busy 7 month old, I need all the sleep I can get!

For more great ideas, check out Works-For-Me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family!

Meals for Sharing

Our church Care Group meets every Sunday evening, and after a family-style devotional, we have a simple potluck meal. I have several favorites that I like to make and share; they work well for potlucks, office parties, or any "covered dish" event. They are all fairly simple and could stand alone if needed, but would also complement other foods nicely.

Here are the Top Ten recipes I use for potluck main dishes:

1. Chicken Pot Pie

2. Chili

3. Beef Stew

4. Baked Spaghetti

5. Lasagna

6. Pastitzio

7. Macaroni & Cheese

8. Cheesy Shell Casserole

9. Creamy Pasta Primavera

10. Chicken & Rice

For more Top Ten Tuesday lists, visit OhAmanda.com!

Open Ears

Some days, the demands of a 3-year-old seem constant and overwhelming. She wants this, she wants that, this is too hard, where are her cowboy boots, she needs a special book, but she doesn't want a banana...

I try to teach her to be patient, teach her to be kind, and teach her to be unselfish. I try to open her eyes to the needs and wants of others. I try to show her that serving others is much more rewarding and much more important than serving self. At times I feel defeated, because her grasp of concepts like these is fleeting at best.

But then I listen to what she's really saying.

"Mommy, will you play Cootie wif me?"

"Mommy, you color dis wif me."

"Mommy, I want to sit wif you!"

"Will you lay wif me, Mommy?"

"I need wots of hugs from my Mommy!"

What she needs most from me right now is time and love. Love and time. Loving time and timely love. Other lessons can and should be learned as we go.

But the greatest of these is love...

Tenderness

Alternate Title: MINE

Family Friday: Focusing on Family

As a family, one of our priorities this year is to focus more on quality time with each other. We're trying to get away from passive things like watching movies together and aim towards more interactive things. (There's nothing wrong with watching movies together, but in our family, we tend to sit around and watch, and not talk, and really, we may as well be in different rooms for all the "quality" time that happens.)

Part of our strategy for making family time a priority is to set aside Friday night as Family Night. Our activities will be inexpensive out of necessity, and won't involve anything elaborate. Sometimes it will be just the four of us, and sometimes we will invite some of our extended family to join us.

Tonight, for example, my brother's family is coming over for dinner and a little Wii action. We'll talk over fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, and pecan pie, and then we'll good-naturedly bash each other to pieces in Mario Kart.

I plan to make Fridays a time to write about family-focused activities; for my own sense of organization I'll call it Family Friday. If you'd like to join me in Family Friday, please let me know - I'd love to read other posts encouraging family time!

TILT: Care Packages for the Homeless

Typically, my "Things I Love Thursday" posts are about a product, something that I've discovered that really works well for us. I've posted about cleaners, baby products, toys, and other things. Today is a little different.

My mother-in-law is eccentric; I think she'd be okay with me saying that. One of the best things about her, though, is her compulsion to serve others. She is always taking food to someone, giving someone a ride here or there, or donating her time to church activities. When she hears of someone in need, she doesn't stop with, "Wow, that's a shame." Instead, she goes on to think, "What can I do to help?"

Nellie has a definite compassion towards people who are down-on-their-luck, especially the homeless. In an effort to help them, she has come up with a wonderful idea, one that I think we will start doing in our family, too. She makes little care packages for the homeless people that she sees standing along the roads, and she calls it "Touched by an Angel Ministries." The packages currently contain:

• a bottle of orange juice
• a pack of trail mix
• peanut-butter or cheese sandwich crackers
• little tub of applesauce
• little tub of green beans
• trial-size antibacterial gel
• plastic fork & spoon, napkin
• small copy of the New Testament

All of this is just tied up in a clean plastic bag, and just given to whoever is in need. She keeps these bags in her van at all times, so that she's ready to help out.

I think this is a great way to reach out and to be the arms of Christ to people in need. It would also open the door for helping people further, and for sharing the story of Jesus with them.

It's a thing I love.

For more Things I Love Thursday posts, visit The Diaper Diaries!

WFMW: Toy Segregation

(Today's post is part of a Backwards Works-For-Me Wednesday - instead of sharing a tip with you, I'm asking for advice!)

We are in the process of getting our house organized. When you live in a small house with very little closet space, it can be quite a challenge! On our "things to do" list is the creation of a playroom for Wendy and David. Instead of them each having a bedroom with their own separate things, they are going to share a bedroom and share a playroom, in the hopes that keeping all of the toys in one location will help things stay a bit neater.

That leads me to a few questions for you:

What are some good, inexpensive ways to control toy clutter?

What features would a good playroom include?

Is there a good way to keep an older child's small (choking hazard) toys away from an active baby?

If you've got any suggestions for me, please let me know! I have Pottery Barn dreams on a Wal-Mart budget, so I could use all the help I can get!

For more Backwards Works-For-Me Wednesday posts, visit We Are THAT Family!

Things I Wish I Didn't Know

1. Cat vomit comes out of deep-pile carpet much easier if you let it dry first. Gross, but true.

2. The Reese's candy bar that my husband put in my Christmas stocking this year has 3 servings per bar. Let's see, 200 calories and 12 grams of fat multiplied by 3 servings...

3. Speeding = breaking the law = sinning.

4. My daughter is getting old enough to remember some of my less-than-stellar parenting moments.

5. There is a method for stimulating a cow to pee. Been there, done that. Never, ever want to do it again.

6. The lyrics to "Ice, Ice, Baby." Seriously. That junk is taking up useful brain space.

7. There are mites living in my eyelashes. Yours, too.

8. Vitamin K-dependent clotting factors are II, VII, IX, and X. I will most likely never use that information again, but you could rouse me from a coma and ask me that question, and I would know the answer.

9. My daughter watches entirely too much television. (See #4, above)

10. "We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America." Okay, I don't wish I didn't know that. I'm just showing off.

For more interesting Top Ten Tuesday lists, visit OhAmanda.com!

A Job Well Done

In March of 2006 I became a homemaker, and in September of 2006 I became a stay-at-home mom. In all of that time, I have never - not once - felt like I was doing a good job. Sure, I enjoy what I do. Sure, I occasionally get one or two areas of life on track.

But I have never felt like I was living up to my "contract." There are many excuses I could make - depression, sleep-deprivation, health problems - but those things are just parts of life that I need to cope with right now. I need to push past the problems and get things done.

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." Colossians 2:23-24

Here are some specific areas I'll be working on this year:

1. Personal study and prayer time
2. Be a more supportive & loving wife
3. Interact more with my children
4. Less computer time
5. Daily exercise
6. Start healthy eating habits
7. Keep a cleaner house

I see 2010 as full of possibility and hope. I want to focus on my job this year, and start living for someone other than myself. I hope that you will be able to see evidence of growth and change in my blog throughout the year.

Please pray for me, that I will have His strength and peace as I try to get things right. And please stop by and encourage me whenever you can - I could use the support!

Happy New Year!

Changes

I love a fresh, new year. A chance to start over, to try new things, and to get it together. I'll be making some improvements in my life this year, which will probably be reflected in my blog. I'll fill you in on the details later, but for now, what do you think of my new, simplified look?