Pet Peeves

I admit, it is no longer Friday-its 12:30 a.m and I missed linking up to A Blonde Ambition for Confessional Friday by 30 minutes. Do you think they will notice? Maybe.
I, however, could not miss this topic link up: pet peeves!

If you know me well, you have figured out that I have a few pet peeves! Though I just asked my husband if he knew what they were and are, his answer, "No!" Ha! I do know what they are, so go ahead-ask me!

To name a few, in no particular order:

1. Cars taking up two spaces.
I admit that I am not always the best person at parking; but I do know that you don't park OVER the line!

And, I also don't appreciate getting excited over what I think is a free parking spot! I often find myself speeding up to get there more quickly, only to realize there is car there. The car is either a stupid smart car or pulled all the way up in the space.

2. Spelling errors!
Oh. My. Word. I can still remember watching a news station KDLT in South Dakota that spelled Wednesday, WENDENSday! Yep, never trusted their sources again!

3. Mispronunciation.


4. Chomping.
I googled the definition:
Verb;
Munch or chew vigorously and noisily.
(of a horse) Make a noisy biting or chewing action.
Just thinking about hearing every, little crunch makes me cringe. Therefore, I find myself incapable of properly defining this pet peeve; but will simply leave you with this question, do you want someone to term you with this particular definition of a HORSE?

Summer Fun: Recipes

Today is our final post for the Summer Fun series and I am excited to have Hollie from Blog-a-Holic sharing a favorite recipe! I have been following Hollie's blog for a couple of years now and have had the opportunity to "chat" with her via email a few times and really enjoy her sweet spirit! Thanks Hollie for sharing!

Summer is here which means long days, sunshine, grilling outdoors, pool time, and fun! Here is a great recipe for a fresh, summery salad. You can serve it cold with tortilla chips or hot over grilled fish! It is so versatile and has all the great flavors of summer wrapped into one super easy dish! Enjoy!

Source

Roasted Corn Salsa

16oz pkg frozen corn

1 diced tomato

1 diced jalapeno

1 diced green bell pepper

The juice from 1/2 lime

Chopped cilantro to taste

A swirl of olive oil

Salt & Pepper to taste

Dump the corn into a saute/fry pan. Cook over medium heat until corn begins to brown slightly. Add corn into a large mixing bowl and allow to cool. While the corn is cooling, dice your other veggies. I cut the ribs & seeds out of the jalapeno, but they can be added in according to your heat preference. I also cut the innards out of the tomato to keep it from being too wet. Add all the ingredients into the mixing bowl with the corn and toss well. Taste and season accordingly. Refrigerate overnight. 

Bucket List-Book Review #4

Well, another book to check off the list and 8 more still to read!

Not a Sparrow Falls, by Linda Nichols



I enjoy fiction; but tend to be picky about it as time goes on. I have read Karen Kingsbury and enjoyed her books; but have grown tired of them. Lori Wick is another favorite of mine, I especially enjoyed Pretense and Sophie's Heart. It seems to me that Karen Kingsbury and Lori Wick have the same tendencies in writing and I wanted to try a "different" style; but was hesitant-know what I mean? Well, I was pleasantly surprised with this selection, I was able to download it for free on my Kindle Fire!
I enjoyed this book from start to finish! The author did a wonderful job painting each scene and each character jumped out of the pages into "real life". I was captivated by real life struggles and the love and redemption that God offers! I would definitely recommend this book and would like to read more of her work!

Ten on Tuesday

1. Busy week ahead as I prepare for Klayton’s grandma and grandpa to come visit!
2. This photo really puts into perspective how tiny my niece is!

3. I must confess that I was nervous about the post I did on infertility. But, I am SO thankful that I did, I received comments and private messages from some sweet ladies that are now added to my prayer list!
4. Keep praying for my Grandpa Collins, he is still in the hospital with some bleeding on the brain. We are hoping he will be released sometime this week.
5. I am thankful for friends who have become adopted family! We have a sweet couple in our church, Adam and Afton who love Klayton and well Klayton just LOVES them as well. He loves them so much that he may have thrown a fit when they told him goodbye.
6. Klayton and I have now read over 60 books for the summer reading program! Woohoo! One of our favorite books has been, Goldilocks by Dom De Luise! Such a cute version!

7. Dear Candy Crush, Would you please consider letting me pass level 169 sometime VERY soon? Pretty please and thank you for your consideration! Sincerely, Defeated Player of Two Weeks.
8. I am working on a post about Obedience and I would LOVE for you to answer this question, why is obedience important?
9. So, I'm just going to say it...when is Kendra going to get into shape? I'm hoping she will start making an effort yesterday!
10. What is a post without a picture of Klayton? Not happy...so to make things happy here he is!

Happy Tuesday!

Bucket List-Book Review

Well, here's to checking off another book from my bucket list, goal 4-Read 12 books I've never read before! And with this book under my belt I have now read 3!

I read, Beyond Ordinary···When a Good Marriage Just isn't Good Enough by, Justin and Trisha Davis.



What I appreciated is how honest and transparent the couple was in documenting and sharing their marriage struggles. Most people in general are not willing to be transparent and then to be transparent on paper and publish it?! That rarely happens because, "what will people think?!"

I found myself relating to Trisha and that made me want to keep reading even more! There were a lot of good points; but does not use the King James Bible I just don't feel like I can 100% endorse it. I also was not fond of the final chapter and found myself briefly skimming it.

Points I took from the book...just a few:

·It is a dangerous prayer to pray-God change me. You know why it's dangerous? Because this is a prayer God will always answer. God longs to transform you. As much as you want to change your spouse, as much as you try to modify your behavior, God wants to change your heart. This prayer is where lasting change starts.

·Marriage is physical and emotional, but more than anything else, marriage is spiritual.

·None of us has the capacity to change a human heart. We think that by trying to change our spouse's behavior we are changing their hearts, but that isn't true. By trying to change our spouse's behavior we are actually damaging their hearts.

·Oneness in marriage is possible. It isn't easy, but it is possible. And it only comes as each spouse individually pursues God.

·Less than 8% of Christian couples say that they pRay together on a regular basis.

·Distorting truth and compromising truth often seems innocent and harmless, but it always comes with a price.

·We fear the consequences of confession because we have yet to realize the consequences of concealment.

·If God is powerful enough to do so many miracles, it seems reasonable to conclude that He will also be good with directions.

Not Alone

Over at Kelly’s Korner the subject is infertility. I don’t really speak A TON about this subject on here; but it is a subject that is close to my heart. It took 18 months of trying before getting our positive with Klayton. And here we are again…I told my husband that I was going to participate in the link up. Joseph was like, “you are not infertile” as he motioned to Klayton. I decided to look up the definition and found if a person under 35 who has been trying for a year or more is considered infertile. I personally believe that there are different “progressions” if you will of infertility.

When Klayton was around six months old we decided that it was time to start “trying” because it had taken SO long with him. I went in for my yearly visit and my doctor thought things were looking good and she suspected that baby number two would happen much more quickly! I walked out of her office relieved, happy and confident! In December of 2011, just six months after that visit I took 5 pregnancy tests and they were ALL positive! We made an appointment for that very day with my doctor. I gave a “sample” and it came back negative, so blood work was ordered which confirmed my news; but my levels were low and my doctor requested I come back in the following week to make sure my levels were increasing. I never made it back for that second test because I started bleeding four days after my initial test. The next month I went back to my doctor for a visit and asked her if maybe it was just a false positive; she was positive that I had indeed been pregnant. I solaced myself in the fact that it had happened after only a few months of trying. But, now I found myself in the fact that we have now been officially trying longer than we had with Klayton.

So, here I am-wanting to share my current journey with you…the good and the ugly. The ugly is confessing my “sins”! I must admit that I am one of “those” people who thought the wait for another baby would be easier since I already have a toddler to keep me busy. Maybe the sting is lessened when I have my little guy to squeeze tighter when I get a negative result. But, it is still hard and maybe harder this time around as I watch Klayton light up when he gets the opportunity to play with other kids-he LOVES being around other children and babies!



This journey is often a journey that women face feeling alone. It is one that is hard to talk about and I have had friends along the way who know exactly what it is like…we all have different feelings, emotions, thoughts; but we have all known how to relate with one another about it. Thankfully, all my friends who have struggled with this have either recently been blessed with baby number 2 or are currently pregnant. I am absolutely thrilled for my friends; but at the same time my heart is crushed that I don’t get to be comparing pregnancy notes with them and its left me feeling even more alone.

As I have worked on this I have been trying to figure out what I should say to really get you to understand where I am. But, I don’t know how to do this…we all deal with this struggle differently. In this struggle I just need a friend that is willing to listen and be a shoulder to cry on. I don’t always need words; because a lot of times the words we speak sound right; but they aren’t right. To tell me, “there’s always next month” isn’t a comfort to me because I wanted/needed the positive THIS month. To tell me you understand is hard for me to believe unless I know you to have laid on your husbands chest sobbing…or have literally cried over a negative test result….cried in the feminine product aisle at the grocery store. You don’t have to remind me that God is good and the child I long for IS worth the wait because I see the goodness of God EVERYDAY in Klayton and I KNOW he was worth the wait and that thought alone puts tears in my eyes.



I want you to know that my struggle is real and hard; but my God is good and He is teaching me to answer the question, “Choose ye this day whom ye will serve?” Am I going to serve God or my struggle with infertility? Infertility is a daily struggle and I could let it consume EVERY area of my life and sadly I have let it consume EVERY area of my life. I am learning to choose God. When I choose God I am choosing to not depend on Evening Primrose oil, my intake of caffeine, or my ability to “relax”. I am choosing to be thankful that I have a God who sees the big picture and doesn’t want me to be alone in this journey. God has given me Bible example, one example is the story of Hannah…God knew I needed to know that she too shed tears of sadness, that people closest to her didn’t always know how to relate; but God remembered her and was there with her every step of the journey. I am not alone.

Summer Fun: Entertaining the Kiddos

Continuing with our Summer Fun series I thought it would be fun to make up a Bucket List of sorts for summer!

1. Have a Lego Quest day. This can be fun for all ages, even if you have a toddler they can still build and destroy! And they can do a little coloring! And yep, I admit this idea was all from Pinterest!
2. Movie Day! This is perfect for a rainy day! Stay indoors, pop some popcorn...make a lunch that would go along with the movie (like Finding Nemo, eat fish sticks-get the idea?)
3. Go for a bike ride or a walk as a family!

4. Make ice cream in a bag! (What you will need: 1/2 cup milk,1/2 teaspoon vanilla,1 tablespoon sugar,4 cups crushed ice, 4 tablespoons salt,2 quart size Zip-loc bags,1 gallon size Zip-loc freezer bag. Directions: Mix the milk, vanilla and sugar together in one of the quart size bags. Seal tightly, allowing as little air to remain in the bag as possible. Too much air left inside may force the bag open during shaking. Place this bag inside the other quart size bag, again leaving as little air inside as possible and sealing well. By double-bagging, the risk of salt and ice leaking into the ice cream is minimized. Put the two bags inside the gallon size bag and fill the bag with ice, then sprinkle salt on top. Again let all the air escape and seal the bag. Shake the bag, making sure the ice surrounds the cream mixture. Five to eight minutes is adequate time for the mixture to freeze into ice cream.)
5. Have a water balloon fight and enjoy some popsicles while you dry off!
6. Set a reading goal for the summer. I will read ___ books this summer!
7. Make s'mores!
8. Have a lemonade stand!
9. Plant something, flowers...a vegetable, whatever!
10. Have a picnic lunch in your backyard.
11. Have some neighborhood kids over and host a "mini summer olympics"!
12. Fill up ten old 20 oz water bottles, add some food coloring and find a ball to play outdoor bowling!
13. When the sun has set, grab a few chairs and a snack and enjoy the night as family simply chatting or saying nothing at all!

This was just a quick list...what would you add to it? Or what have you already done with your kiddos this summer?

My New Niece

Do you remember me asking to pray for my sister? If not read that here!
So, my sister arrived to Madison on the night of the 10th. They worked to stabilize her blood pressure. Which is another whole story in and of itself. On Wednesday, June 12th Kayla was 28 weeks and it was decided that she would be delivering her baby via caesarean.
Here is her husband Kenny...or as I like to call him, "Temporary Dr. Kenny"!



At 4:29 p.m on Wednesday, June 12th 2013 weighing in at 1 lb. 10 ounces and measuring at 36 centimeters in length RoseMarie Lynn arrived!



RoseMarie was born and quickly whisked away to the "bubble". When baby arrived though she was breathing on her own-which is a miracle of its own! She was placed under the lights, here she is "sunbathing"!



Such a tiny miracle. In her first 24 hours Kenny was able to take her temperature and change her diaper! Check out how tiny this diaper is, my grandparents said it was like the size of a dollar bill and even then it was still to big for RoseMarie!



And Kayla was able to see her for the first time on Thursday night!



On Saturday, RoseMarie was able to be held for the first time and I think her Mama was very happy to have that moment!



Daddy was able to have his time with his little girl yesterday-kangaroo care!



Dear RoseMarie,
We are SO happy that you are here-earlier than expected; but what a miracle that is being seen in you! You are progressing and doing so well, the nurses and doctors are always telling your Mommy and Daddy how it is just amazing them and all they can say is its because of God! I pray that you will grow to know the God that is answering prayers and doing this miracle in you already! We love you and I can't wait to meet you!

Love,
Aunt Kendra

10 on Tuesday

1. So proud of myself, I cooked dinner for the whole family last night and it cost me $6! We had grilled steak, corn on the cob and mashed potatoes! Yummy!
2. Yesterday my Grandpa was in a motorcycle accident. That was scary to hear about. He should be released from the hospital tomorrow and I am sure he will be in lots of pain.

3. I enjoy going to the Farmers Market in the summer time. I was anxious to check out the Farmers Market here, what a bust! Only a few tables did I see and no veggies or fruit...
4. You know you live in a small town when: you go to the grocery store to scope out if anything is on sale so you can bake, the owner and cashier scurry to the front waiting for you to come up with your purchases. Sadly, nothing is on sale ;but you now feel obligated to purchase something as you are the only shopper in the store. So, $1.29 later and 2 drinks you come out with nothing to bake...
5. I am proud to say that Klayton was accident free today! Finally, a successful potty training day is in the books!
6. Still unsure about how I feel upon hearing someone refer to my child as a, head banger.
7. I have really enjoyed participating in the summer reading program at our library with Klayton. To date we have read 51 books!
8. Spurs, Bruins, Heat and Blackhawks...do those names mean anything to you?
9. This was our Father's Day project with Joseph on Sunday! Love how it turned out!

10. Stay tuned tomorrow for a post about my niece, RoseMarie! Happy Tuesday!

Summer Fun: TIps for Vacation

Today I am continuing with my Summer Fun Series and I am excited to have, Kendra Thornton blogging for me!

Bio: Kendra Thornton: Travel advocate, TV spokesperson, PR businesswoman, proud wife and mama of 3. I am a long time travel expert who has been packing my bags and traveling the world since I was 3 months old! I've found my utmost desire in life is right here in my own home. I have taken my excitement for travel and brought it to you with some of my favorite travel tips and tricks. Enjoy!


What Moms Should Know For A Stress-Free Family Vacation


A family vacation is the perfect way to get away from it all, have some fun, and spend quality time with your husband and children. However, an unplanned vacation is a stressful vacation. Here are the top five mom-approved tips for planning the perfect family getaway!


1. Bored children are unruly and difficult to deal with. Always choose a destination where they will have plenty to do. Look into family friendly resorts, because they are kid-friendly but fun for adults too. Try a serene resort in the mountains, a hotel with an indoor water park, or even an adventurous ski lodge. These places specialize in fun for every member of the family. When deciding where to take my family of five in Hawaii, I did some research to find the perfect balance between luxury and kid friendly (I know! I was surprised they exist too). My kids love the water, but with three of them it was essential that we find a resort with close proximity to the beach. We were able to secure an excellent room at a top Honolulu hotel just minutes from Waikiki. Family friendly accommodations offer plenty of clever kids activities, giving mom and dad a chance to relax.


2. Carefully choose the toys you bring along. There are few things more annoying on long trips than noisy toys, so choose quieter options. Bring toys that are easy to pack and easy to play with in the car or in-flight. New toys will hold your kids' attention longer, but old favorites work great too. Keep a few surprise toys packed away in your luggage or carry-on bag. When your children start getting bored, these surprise toys will be a great distraction. Finally, don’t underestimate the value of silly items like straws and unused toothbrushes. In a jam, these can keep kids entertained for much longer than you’d expect.



3. Do not forget the essentials: zip lock bags in a variety of sizes, first aid materials, a sippy cup or two, and plenty of extra clothes and diapers. Traveling is messy and spills are likely! Shop for travel-sized options for your carryon. Buy extras in case you lose a few. The more prepared you are with the essentials, the more comfortable you will be. These items will ensure you and the kids all feel comfortable and refreshed when you arrive!


4. Baby food and formula are allowed through airport security and are not subject to the 3-1-1 rule. If you are flying, be sure to pack plenty. However, only pack gentle foods your baby is used to as to not upset their stomach during the flight. Further, being away from your family pediatrician means you need to be more sensitive and aware of potential food allergies. Traveling with a baby is hard, but traveling with a sick baby is harder.


5. Don't forget that it is your vacation too! You and your husband can take turns watching the kids. You can get a spa treatment one day and he can golf another. Many top hotels offer certified babysitting services so you can enjoy a romantic dinner. This is your vacation too – make sure you have some quality adult time as well.