FOREVER!!!!!!

WOW!!! It has been so long.

Since my last BLOG, a lot has happen.

Caden turned 2, we went on a McBride/Hawthorne/Boyd Disneyland Trip, then 2 days later the kids and I went to KY and visited my sister, husband and kids; my 2nd cousin got married so I we went for his wedding. I celebrated my 28th birthday in October. Thanksgiving weekend we had a busy weekend celebrating with all our family and then we celebrated our 5 year anniversary!!! To celebrate I surprised E and the kids a trip to the NORTH POLE!!!! It was FREAZING up there. But a lot of fun!!! It started snowing just outside of Flagstaff, which was pretty cool. The kids had a lot of fun eating cookies and drinking hot coco and then seeing SANTA CLAUSE!!!!! The following morning we woke up and it was 14 degrees outside. BRRR!!!!!!

Then came Christmas. We LOVE Christmas in our home. Thankfully we were able to celebrate our last christmas in our *grey* house with the kids. Bittersweet. Santa brought them each a bike; Ellie got a BIG GIRL Princess Bike and Caden the CARS Trike! and an outside house!! Then of course they got spoiled by all the grandmas and grandpas.

Then we officially moved out of house the weekend of New Years. Since I was sick (really really bad allergies that nocked me out), I stayed home and E went out with our small group to their home to celebrate. Apparently there was a lot of fun and joking I missed. So we moved out of the house and move-in with my parents.

On January 5th at 2am, I woke up to my back hurting. I woke up moaning out loud. So I got up and my WATER BROKE! (For those that for got, YES, I was pregnant with our 3rd baby!!)!!! When I came back to bed I leaned over to E and said *We are going to have our baby today. But go back to bed. I'll wake you when I need you.* and so he did. haha someone needed to get some sleep and drive me to the hospital. at 7a I tried calling him and then texted him stating *WAKE UP NOW!* things started moving, so hours later we went off to the hospital. While riding in the car my water broke some more and then again in the wheelchair waiting to be seen at the hospital. Wasn't to thrilled about that, but whats a prengnat lady in labor to do. Maybe I should screamed or something. Then hours later, 5:12pm we had a baby GIRL!!!! She was 8ibs and 2.5 oz. SAY WHAT???? Yeah, I know. I pushed her out, and believe me I did have a big girl. LOL

It was a lot of fun living with my Mom and Dad again. Although I never thought I would be moving back home with my family. But thankfully we had a place to call home for a few months. Four months later we were able to buy our own home and Easter weekend we moved-in. Thank You, GOD!! You are so awesome.

So thats a 8mo. recap of whats been going on here.

Tomorrow I will post pictures of us all... sadly they are with my crapy camera. Bc when we were on our D.L. trip coming home *we* lost both my cameras. I think I cried for a couple of weeks. Now I jsut get sad thinking of the pictures I had on my camera. BUT whomever found it sure did get a great camera. :) Hope they love it like I did. so for my 28th bday I bought me a new camera. I mean, I have kids and I can't go on without one.... I did for 2 months and it wasn't fun.

Anyways, I'm back. Hopefully for good. Or at least just once a month kinda thing.

Love to all

Giving God the Glory,

Case and fam

A Good Meal Parallels a Good Life!

Planning:

How many - Don't do family style dinners- do it by portions

Likes/Dislikes/Dietary Issues

List- make a weekly list

Shopping- buy in bulk and freeze it in portion sizes

Storing- store veggies in portion sizes & store everything properly

Preparation:

Utensils

Mis En Plas

Timing

Procedures:

Planning

Right heat at the right time

Emergency Redemption

The Unexpected

Presentation:

Everyone eats first with their eyes! - 2nd w/nose; 3rd w/taste

Plating for portions- serve on smaller plates makes smaller portions

serve slowly- take an hour to eat your dinner

An evening activity

Clean up

Titus 2:4-5

*Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.* {NIV}

Seven Priorities of A Godly Wife

Priority # 1 - Love you HUSBAND!

(Fondness, affection, etc)

We need to have a marriage center home and not a kid center home. Meaning our kids don't run our home, but us parents do.

Titus 2:4 *... train the younger women to love their husbands...*

The number one NEED of a man is.... RESPECT

*Real LOVE is placing the needs of others before your own. It is giving to another without guarantee of getting anything back. It is giving others what they need, not what they deserve. Love is not a feeling. It is a choice, and action, a way of behaving a commitment. Love is sacrificing for others! - Rick Warren

Evaluation Question: Does your husband feel respected in your love? How could you improve?

Priority # 2 - Love your CHILDREN!

Titus 2:4 *... train the younger women to love their... children.*

Every Parent's Goal is to Help Their children Know:

WHO they are!

WHAT they are!

and to VALUE Themselves the Way God Made Them!

How do we do this?

through QUALITY (40% parents spend less time then the generation before us)

Through AFFECTION! (by telling them we love them, hugging, kissing them, etc)

Through APPRECIATION! (By telling them you appreciate them when they do good deeds; ie opening the doors for older people, manners, helping one another out)

Evaluation Question: Do your children know your love best through your attention, affection, or appreciation? How could you improve in the other two areas?

Priority # 3 - Be SENSIBLE!

Titus 2:5 *To be self-controlled...*

Proverbs 31:10 *A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more then rubies.*

Evaluation Question: What very sensible decision have you made the past 10 days? What very non-sensible decision have you made in the last 10 days? How could you be more "Sensible?"

Priority # 4 - Be PURE in Mind and Body! - Godly women

Titus 2:5 *to be pure...*

1 Timothy 2:9 *And I want women to be modest in their appearance. They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes.* (New Living Translation)

Mind and Body- by what we read, watch, listen to, say. We need to keep our minds pure and when we keep our minds pure we keep our body pure.

Evaluation Question: How important is "purity" to you? Are there areas in your life that could us work?

Priorities # 5 - Be Workers at HOME!

Titus 2:5 *To be busy at home...*

Proverbs 31: 27-29 *she watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: "Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all."

Wouldn't be great to hear our children say, *My Mom is THE BEST; she is blessed.*

Evaluation Question: Are there any areas of *homemaking* (practically, relationally, spiritually) where you could improve? How?

Priorities # 6 - Be KIND!

Titus 2:5 *to be kind...*

1 Timothy 3:11 *In the same way, their wives must be respected and must not speak evil of others. They must exercise self-control and be faithful in everything they do.*

Are you kind? Are you genuine? Do you have real LOVE?

Evaluation Question: How do you deal with your frustrations and disappointment? Would others describe you as *KIND?* How could you improve?

Priorities # 7 - Be SUBJECT to their husbands as the Lord!

Titus 2:5 *to be subject to their husbands...*

Eph. 5:22 & 1 Peter 3:1

Evaluation Question: Would your husband say you are supportive or in conflict with him? How could you improve working as a team?

so.... today in MOPS our Preacher/Pastor Roger Storms at Chandler Christian Church spoke on this subject. And I just thought it was really good that I should post it. Growing up in His church, I already know all of this, but its so nice to hear it again; helps as a reminder as how I should be, act, and raise our kids up in the Lord, and how to be a Proverbs 31 wife. And as I reflect these things, it takes me back to the Ester study by Beth Moore (if you haven't done it or heard of it, you need to check it out. WOW! Made me re-think some things.) but how I don't want to be a Mean Girl.

So whats a post without a picture?? Expecially when it suppose to be ABOUT THEM.

Caden Christopher McBride

Happy Birthday to my Little Man!!! If you ask him how old he is, he will say *I, two.*

CADEN is TWO!!!!

For his birthday we went to Hamilton H.S. pool and swam for a 2 hours, then went to my parents home (thanks Mom and Dad for allowing us to come over) for Pizza, Cake, Brownies, & Cupcakes :)

And if you know my son at all, you know how much he is inlove, and I mean INLOVE with Cars, Choo choo Trains, and balls. I believe every gift had a car in it and if it didn't he moved onto the next one. It was a scream. Now our home doesn't just have girlie stuff it also has CARS, CARS & more CARS. If another little boy (or girl) is wearing something with a car or train on it he will go up to them and touch the car. Lets just say he's gotten wacked a few times but doesn't understand why. haha I keep telling him *PERSONAL SPACE* heehee

But to my Little Man, I thank you for the gift of laughter, and joy and for making me see every car, truck and train on the road. (and yes, we see them all. You are such a blessing to our family, and I thank God, my gift from Him, to me, for you. I Love You Most of All!!!!

Opening up gifts and yes there is a car on the shirt

Telling Daddy there's a TRAIN

At Hamilton H.S. Pool

He thinks floating is the funniest thing ever

Eating Birthday Cake

You can't tell but I made him a Lightning McQueen Cake

Singing Happy Birthday

Then right when we were done, Ellie blew it out

before anyone had a chance.

Happy Birthday Caden

Daddy, Mommy, and Sister

LOVE YOU SO!!!!

SET ME FREE

Last night I started the *There & Then and Here & Now, Revelation study with Beth Moore.* I was amazed and just blown away by the first lesson. If you have not sign up for this study, please find someone teaching it and study it.

One thing we talked about it that I have been dealing with is bondage. Not bondage like we all think of today as in the 3 little word that starts with S and ends in X and has an E in the middle. haha But bondage of something that is not letting you be FREE. Free of guilt, free of him (noticed I used the little *h*). Nor bondage of sin, although we all fall short and sin. But something that I have not been able to *LET GO OF* that has constantly been a slap in my face for the last several months.

Beth Moore says *Bondage does not hold us, but yet we hold on to it.* *We have a choice to let it go and be FREE, to have that FREEDOM* So why do we hold on it? More importantly, why am I holding on it?

So I have to make that choice. and trust me, I have made that choice to let it go. And here I thought it hasn't let go of me... silly me. I guess I haven't truly let it go or is that because its been a constant in my life....

But as I struggle with this, I am reminded of the one that LOVES me. I am told to *forgive and move on* Because if I can't forgive then how can He forgive me of my sins. and that I WANT from Him. I want to be forgiven, I want to hear *Job well done, my faithful servant*.

But as I struggle with this, I am grateful for what He has done for me, my family, my loved ones. I have healthy children. so makes my struggle look like a little peddle compared to these families that are battelling cancer.

I have a few girls and boys that I follow on TWEET and Caring Bridge. Some of which are doing great and other that have WON THEIR ANGEL WINGS.

You know life is short, life is hard, life is life and sometimes its a hard journey/road to travel on. So why make it harder for you or others? Why do we do that to ourselves or our loved ones knowing its short, knowing it will hurt them. Why???

So here I am making MY choice, my choice to let you, my bondage, go.

I pray that God will guide me through this journey and give me the strength and knowledge and hold me on this journey. I pray for me that it wont be a journey but a fast trip. I pray, I cry out to You on behalf of the families that are dealing with CANCER- what a nasty word to even say. Wish it were a bad word and one we couldn't say in our home. Wouldn't that be nice. I hate cancer, and what it does to everyone- its a ripple effect- it hurts everyone.

So what's your bondage, and why have you not chosen HIM who gives YOU/us FREEDOM?!?!

Memorial Day & 4th of JULY

MEMORIAL DAY

We went to Steve and Jeanies for a cook out and swimming.

Kimberly, Chris, Paige, Amy, Uncle Tim and my parents were there.

You would think with ALL the food we had

we were feeding an army. hahaha but it was GOOD!

Happy 4th of JULY

We invited ourselves out to Cali to hang with

Uncle David, Aunt Beffany and Squirt (who is due in Aug).

We drove out on Thursday early evening, and came home on Monday.

We went to the beach, The Harbor, Little Farm at the OC Fair Grounds,

Hung out, went swimming, cooked out, shot off Fireworks, and

enjoyed the company of our great friends.

E went out with David and his friends to a BBall game

Friday night and came home on Saturday. Us girls and guy

stayed home and ate pizza, went swimming, and the next day is when we went to the farm.

After naps some FB friends came over and our kids played together.

They were so cute together. The *GIRLS* are twins, and Ellie kept calling them *Girls*.

So funny :) A few pic. of our much needed and so much nicer and cooler weather!

It was like low 70's the whole time. Cloudy every morning. It was just a slice of Heaven.

Its always harder coming home when the temp. is like 30+ degrees higher. ugh

The Farm

The Harbor

4th of July - getting ready for Fireworks :)

Thanks Uncle David & AUnt Beffany for a fun 4th of July weekend.

We all had a wonderful time.

Can't wait for October =D