Bad can be good?

At the beginning of this year I started a Bible reading plan. It was the first time that I've ever picked up the Bible for the sole purpose of daily reading. I do read for different Bible studies or if I need to look something up. I've just never read through it just for reading. My pastor encouraged the church to have a daily reading plan and I felt like it was as good a time as any to start. I picked up my smart phone and started to put that Bible app to use. I can say that I have been consistent with my daily reading and each day I feel so fed and so full. There are days when I simply read through it for it to be checked off. There are days when I read through and keep going because I want more. There are days when I have three different Bibles out to study deeper. I let the Spirit lead and when He says to dive deeper, I do! Joseph was a story that touched me and I dove deeper. I have heard the story of Joseph and his coat of many colors as many times as any Christian. I've never had it change me the way that it did when I recently read through it. The story of forgiveness. How God can take a bad situation and use it for good. How Joseph was aware that God had His hand on him and used him and was thankful even through all of his mess. The story of a man that loved his family and wept on his brother's neck. Genesis 45:14 gets me every time I read it. The whole story just touched me when I read it. I got to use the story as an example recently with the boys. Of course it wasn't as evil a situation as brother's selling the youngest into slavery, but it was a teaching moment nonetheless, and I jumped at the chance. We are Disney people. Doug and I have always loved it and now the boys are coming along. We go a couple times a month and have a blast! The boys each have a little bag that they carry their Disney stuff in and in all of our trips have been very responsible with keeping up with it all. We just came back from a 3 day mini-vacation on Friday with Doug's parents. We were all armed with our Disney bags and started our day. Our 4th ride in and Eathan leaves his bag in one of the attractions. Panic sets in and Eathan is crushed. All of his treasures he has been collecting possibly gone. He was upset. We were also in a completely different part of the park than the attraction when he realized he didn't have his bag. Doug's parents, Garrett, Caleb, and I decided to wait at the carousel while Doug and Eathan went back to find the bag. It took a good while. The Sword in the Stone (which happens to be one of my boys' favorite movies) is right by the carousel that you can try and pull. We usually hit it each time we're there and the boys try their hardest to pull it out. We were there one time with friends a while back and they have some of the Fantasyland residents come and do a little skit and have some people try to pull and we got to see a child pull the sword! It was awesome! The boys knew for sure that it wasn't just a sword in a rock and that it could be pulled. They have tried even harder to pull it out ever since. The boys rode the carousel while we were waiting and then we wandered over to the sword. The boys each had their turn and we stood waiting. Here comes the Fantasyland residents! I knew what was fixing to happen. They were going to pick someone to pull the sword. They do their skit and it comes time to pick the sword puller and she picks Garrett. We were so excited! Doug and Eathan stroll back just in time to see Garrett pull the sword from the stone!! It was a cool moment for a Momma to see such happiness in her boy's face! Eathan even had his bag in tow! It all worked out well. While we were waiting in the short line for the next attraction, Joseph came to my mind. Had Joseph not been sold by his brothers they would have starved to death. He was aware that God sent him and used him to preserve the life of his family. (Gen 45:1-8) I felt this was a less dramatic example for us. I huddled the boys and I talked to them and I had told them that had Eathan not left his bag on the other attraction then Garrett wouldn't have gotten the opportunity to pull the sword. We wouldn't have been waiting around and been there at the right time. It was a stinky situation and God still used it as a blessing and a sweet moment for our little family. I know, I know. It seems so frivolous in comparison to Joseph. I still feel like it was an example of how God works things for good. (Rom 8:28) He still has a plan and I was totally giving HIM the glory for our little situation and I wanted the boys to see the goodness of God. He cares for us in the big things and the little things. At the end of the day was the bag that important? No. It was material things that can be replaced. Was this a precious moment for our family that we will cherish and thank God for allowing us to have? ABSOLUTELY!! I love that the boys were excited for Garrett and that they thought it was so cool that God can use something bad and turn it all around for good.

I'd like to encourage you to pick a daily reading plan and read your Bible each day. It's been such a blessing to me and I know it will bless you, too.

Resurrection Rolls

I'm totally hooked on Pinterest. I've found amazing ideas and it has kept me busy crafting and making some yummy snacks.

One of my first pins was for Resurrection Rolls. I pinned them and couldn't wait until Easter.

Today was the day that we decided to do them. I got all of the materials together and preheated the oven. The boys and I read parts of John 19. Then we assembled our rolls and put them in the oven. While they baked we read some of John 20 and Matthew 28.

We took our goodies out of the oven.



The boys wanted to eat them right away, but I told them we had to cut one open to see what had happened to that marshmallow.



I cut open that roll and Eathan's eyes got huge and he said, "He's not here. He has risen as He said."

I wish I had videoed the reveal instead of took pictures. It was amazing. I wiped my tears and the boys ate the yummy treats. The boys loved them and they are still talking about the rolls being empty. :)

Remember me?

I miss blogging. A lot.

I took a break way back when just because I didn't feel like I could give my blog the attention it deserved. All this time has passed and I miss those little posts that let me know what we were up to. I think I'll start out and see where it goes. Hopefully, I'll keep it up. :)

Our little orphan.

Here we go again with another orphan we've adopted.

This one doesn't have a name yet. We just got him yesterday afternoon. He's soooo sweet and the cutest little thing. We have to thank Tabitha for sending him our way. :)



Caleb can't stop loving on him.


He could be a show pig. lol

Manatees, Electricity, Mangroves, Oh My!

We took a trip to the Manatee Viewing Center. When the temperature falls below 68 degrees Fahrenheit in Tampa Bay the manatees come into the warm water discharge canal that's next to the power plant to get warm. The center also has a tidal walkway which is through a mangrove habitat. There is also a Manatee Museum with lots of fun and a Butterfly Habitat.

First we had to get to the manatees. There were so many we couldn't keep count. As soon as we thought we had a good count another would pop up. There were well over 50 in the canal.



The regulars. We wouldn't have known if we seen these or not. There were just so many manatees out this day.





All of the little spots in the water are manatees. :)



The boys loved looking at the manatees and trying to count them.






Next stop was the Manatee Museum. I was pleasantly surprised with everything in there. I was thinking it was going to be a waste even walking in, but it was quite nice.

The boys played a manatee racing game.



We read and found out a lot of information.




There was a manatee skeleton and a skeleton puzzle.






Since this is by the power plant there of course were things about electricity.



Power plant puzzle.


Information on transformers. The ones that bring electricity, not the robots. lol




The power plant.


Next up was the Tidal Walkway.
The boys got their information and away we went. :)








Mangroves


We saw a Shovel Nose Shark although I couldn't get a great pic.



We also saw stingray and lots of fish.







The stingray and fish were jumping up and out of the water. It was really neat.

On the way out we stopped to look at the butterflies.







It was a great day and I want to go back before the manatees leave the canal. The center is only open November-April.

Chocolate paint

Garrett is learning his colors. He's mastered a few, forgets a few, and has no clue about a few. We're learning brown this week which is one he has no clue about.

He colored some pictures with a brown crayon. He played with his Monster Truck color match game. The most fun he had was painting with CHOCOLATE!

I just mixed some sugar, cocoa, and milk. I made it a little bit thicker than hershey's syrup. I would have just used the syrup if I would have had some.

Anywho, Garrett was THRILLED when I told him I made him some paint. He got to work.



He loved dipping his entire hand in the chocolate.



Then I told him he could lick it! hee hee He wasn't too sure about that.



Then I told him it was chocolate.



He had no problems tasting after that. :)



He continued painting and tasting for a little while.




It was fun!! He now remembers the color brown. hee hee :)

We lost a tooth!

My baby has lost his first tooth. His two bottom teeth have been loose for a couple of weeks now. We put some thread around one and out it came. However, he pushed it back into his mouth and SWALLOWED IT! His first lost tooth and he swallows it. lol Only my son. I suggested that he write a letter to the Tooth Fairy and explain what happened. He has yet to write it. He doesn't like the idea of said fairy coming into the room while he's sleeping. hee hee I guess he's not getting any money for that tooth.