On this Good Friday the words from one of my favorite hymns keep running through my mind…
My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought,
My sin, not in part, but the whole.
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more.
Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord oh my soul.
~It is Well with my Soul~
Thankful and humbled by his sacrifice…
jenn
Fourteen years ago we said “I do”…
And I am so thankful for the life that we have lived together. Every moment a gift…evidence of His grace. So thankful…
From the fullness of his grace we have all
received one blessing after another.
John 1:16…
…jenn :)
Yes, I am writing a blog post about burlap.:) It is so popular right now. Pinterest is full of so many different types of projects using burlap. Here are just a few that I have had my eye on…
Source: hydrangeasandwhitedaisies.blogspot.com via Jennifer on Pinterest
A few weeks ago as I was looking at some craft blogs and I came across a room makeover with burlap curtains. I loved them! I had been looking for something new for my living room. I wasn’t loving the white sheer curtains that I had put up a few months ago. The burlap seemed to be a great fit for the style of my living room so I decided to give it a try. Armed with my 40% off coupon I headed to Joann’s. I bought the burlap and some trim and then the bag sat on my craft table for a week.:) This past Saturday I finally sat down to make the curtain. Other than burlap being a mess to work with when you cut it…this was the easiest window treatment I have ever made. Here is the finished product…
The only part that I actually decided to sew was the trim. After I cut it I really liked the look of the raw edge so I left it that way.
I really love the way it turned out. This was my test window and now I am going to make two more for the other windows in my living room. Even Galen commented on how much he liked it.
I will probably have some burlap left…I think that table runner might be calling my name. :)
…jenn
One of the best parts about living in Texas is the wildflowers that we get to enjoy in the Spring…especially the Bluebonnets. This year the Bluebonnets were an extra special treat because we were in a horrible drought last year which meant no wildflowers. It is so fun to drive around right now and see such incredibly beautiful flowers growing everywhere…
A couple of weeks ago we were at one of our favorite parks and I found a beautiful spot for pictures. I knew I wanted to bring the kids back to take some pictures of them. We had some time yesterday so I took advantage of it. I don’t know that the kids were all that excited about having their pictures taken but I sure was excited to be taking them. I have not had my camera out a whole lot lately and I have missed it! I quickly threw together some outfits from things that we had and we headed out to the park. Jackson acted like I was causing him physical pain and that I was ruining his life…oh how difficult it is to be ten. ;) Despite some initial drama which led to the kids getting a quick lecture from Dad (You know the…You’re mom does so much for you and all she is asking is that you smile for a few stinking pictures lecture), I actually got some really great shots.
Here are some of my favorites along with a little update on what everyone has been up to…
Jackson is happy to be free of the cast that he wore for about six weeks. The break healed really well and tomorrow he is finally clear to participate in PE again. He will also be able to start golf again. He is very excited. We are definitely hitting a new stage with him…a little pre-teen attitude. Ugh…not my favorite… but it is causing me to pray A LOT for wisdom. I love this kid…I’m praying that we don’t just survive the pre-teen/teen years but that we actually enjoy them. ha
My beautiful Mackenzie…she has been busy learning how to run the house. ;-) I’m kidding but only a little bit. Thanks to my mom she has been learning how to cook. My mom is so much more patient with her in the kitchen. I am amazed at just how much she can do. On Friday my parents came over to watch the kids while Galen and I went out. I left the recipe and ingredients for Pizza bites. She made them with my mom and then on Sunday while Luke and I were at a Birthday party she made them again…all by herself. All Galen did was put them in the oven for her. She just loves all things domestic…cooking, sewing, organizing. She is going to make a great wife someday! :)
My sweet Tucker. He is just such an easy kid. My favorite errand running buddy (shhh…don’t tell the other 3) and the one that I can always make laugh. He turned 7 at the beginning of this month and his favorite birthday present was a pet turtle from his friends Evan and Kiki. He decided to name his new friend Awesome. :) Tuck really loves Awesome and he is really good at remembering to feed him. And mom is really good at cleaning out the stinky water.
And then there’s Lukie…this last picture says it all. This was his special pose for me. Also notice the grass and dirt stains…those happened within 3 minutes of being at the park. He is just a character. Life is never boring with Lukie. The big news in Luke’s life is that at the beginning of February he finally decided to use the big boy potty. Woo hoo!! After over 10 years of changing diapers we are finally done! Galen and I keep looking for a certificate of appreciation from Huggies or Pampers but so far nothing. ;) Lately Luke loves to tell people that he is the youngest of four but don’t you dare tell him that he is the smallest. He will quickly correct you and let you know that he is the mediumest. :)
My favorite three, seven, eight, and ten year old in the whole wide world. So thankful to be their mom…even when they make a fuss about me taking their pictures. :)
…jenn :)
My sweet Tucker turned seven today. I can’t think of a better reason to break my blog silence than to write about my red head…
Tucker~
You are such a blessing…I mean that from the bottom of my heart. When I think about you I can’t help but smile. You are such a kind hearted, loving, creative little boy and I love being your mom. One of the things I love the most about you is your genuine concern for others. You definitely have the gift of mercy. You love to draw and I am always so impressed by your creativity.
I know that you have no idea how much it means to me that when I pick you up from school you still reach for my hand as we walk to the car. I cannot thank the Lord enough for blessing me with you…my favorite red head…freckle face…surprise baby. You are the best example in my life of how the Lord’s plan is always perfect…always better than my own…always more than I could ask for or imagine.
I love you Tucker Wayne. Happy Birthday!
~Mommy :)
My theme verse for this past weekend…
“In his heart a man plans his course,
but the Lord determines his steps.”. Proverbs 16:9
On Friday Tucker and Mackenzie went to Houston with my parents. I got them packed up, picked up from school, and on their way to see their cousins. Later in the afternoon I took Jackson to pick up his friend Noah for a sleepover. They were so excited. We got home and we were making plans for dinner when they decided to go outside and ride bikes and scooters. Five minutes later, Jackson comes in with tears in his eyes holding his arm. Long story short…15 minutes later, the sleepover was canceled and we were on our way to the ER. Poor Jackson ended up with a broken arm…
It was his ulna to be exact. The doctor did say that it was a “good” break. We head to the orthopedic doctor on Thursday for his cast. He is hoping for camouflage. :-)
Goodbye fun weekend with a friend…Hello low key weekend on the couch!
And then Sunday I was looking forward to a morning at church and then a fun time at our church’s Superbowl party…but instead I woke up feeling horrible and spent the entire day on the couch. The pajamas that I went to bed in on Saturday were the same pajamas that I went to bed in on Sunday. ;-).
Not the day that I had planned…not the weekend that I had planned but it was the weekend that the Lord had planned.
I’m a planner. I like to write things on my calendar and know what to expect. The unexpected is NOT my favorite. However, the Lord is working on me to let go of this false sense of control and to trust…really trust in Him.
He is determining and guiding my steps and however unexpected…I want to learn to follow.
Jackson is doing well. His pain is minimal and is adjusting to doing things with one hand. I am so thankful for the access that we have to good health care. I never want to take that for granted. And because of my day on the couch Sunday, I was thankful to get up Monday and get some things done. A house to clean, clothes to wash. I never want to take them for granted. ;-)
God is good. Thankful for his grace…
jenn ;-)
I was on Pinterest last night and found the cutest blog with an idea for 14 Days of Valentines. She is doing them for her husband but I think there are quite a few that would be great for kids too. She even includes a printable tag to attach to the gift each day. While I was at the Dollar Store today I found lots of treats to use over the next 14 days. This is what the kids will get after school today :)…
I’m going to keep Galen’s gift a secret since he reads this little blog. :) I know it is already February 1st but it’s not too late. You don’t have to do all 14 days…even just a few days would be fun!
It is amazing how just a little something special…different…out of the normal, everyday, routine… can make someone’s day. :)
Have a great Wednesday..
jenn :)
I have had this black frame up for about a year now. It was part of this grouping that I did on one of my living room walls…
I wanted to somehow incorporate my little vintage, floral purse into this grouping, and the black frame was the perfect solution. And then when I was decorating this past Christmas, I thought it would be fun to change what was in the frame to give this wall a little holiday cheer. I took down the purse and put up a little wreath…
I loved the seasonal touch on this wall, so I decided to replace the wreath with something for Valentines day. Of course I was decorating at 9pm and wasn’t about to leave the house. It needed to be something that I already had or something I could make with existing craft supplies. I knew I wanted a heart but not just a red heart…something a little more creative. ;) I remembered a project that I made a few years back using moss, and I immediately got the inspiration that I needed. This is what I came up with…
All I did was take floral foam and cut it into the shape of a heart (warning…messy!). Then I took the moss and covered the foam. I used hot glue to attach the moss but it was messy. After I was finished I remembered the last project I did with moss I used straight pins to attach it. No mess…and they work great! After I covered the heart I added a strip of red ribbon (hot glued to the back of the heart), cut out a felt heart (glued that to the ribbon), and then added a red button with a little bling glued on top. :) I think it fits perfectly inside the frame and I love the little touch it adds to the wall…
I’m already looking for something to put in there for Spring/Easter.
Happy Tuesday…
jenn:)
It started out great! Back in the Fall I started meeting with my 3 friends Daphne, Annie, and Kelly (all our kids go to school together) for a Thursday morning Bible study. We have such a great time together and I look forward to it every week. We had a great discussion and then I left to go to Tucker’s first grade field trip. Annie drove with me because her daughter is in first grade too. We had a great time chatting on our way there. The field trip was downtown at a Children’s theater. The theater has very little parking so I had to park in another lot.
I found a $2 lot and noticed the payment kiosk when we first drove in but I ended up parking on the opposite side of the lot. Annie and I were just chatting away and I completely forgot to pay!
It was such a fun field trip and I really enjoyed my time with Tuck…
All the kids got to play at a great playground by the theater, we ate lunch, and then we enjoyed a fun show called Diary of a Worm, a Spider, and a Fly. About 5 minutes before the show ended I remembered…I never paid for parking!! The kids all got back on the buses to go back to school and as Annie and I were walking back to my van I jokingly said, “I hope there’s not a boot on it.”
I had every intention of paying the $2, but before I could do that Annie noticed a sticker on my window and a boot on my front and back wheel. Ugh! And then I read the sticker and found out that I had to pay a fine of $110 to get the boots off. That was exactly how I wanted to spend $110 today…
SO frustrating but I didn’t exactly have a choice. I said goodbye to $110 and we were on our way. It was an honest and VERY expensive mistake…one I don’t plan to make again.
And if that wasn’t enough excitement for the day…
I made it back with just enough time to pick up Jackson for a doctor’s appointment. On our way to the appointment I picked up Luke from preschool. We made it to the doctor’s office and as I am answering some of the nurses questions Luke tells me that he needs to go potty. He is newly potty trained so when he says he needs to go…we go! He goes potty and we make it back before the doctor comes in. After the doctor comes in I noticed Luke move towards the corner. I start having a discussion with the doctor about some headaches that Jack has been having. I am trying to really concentrate but then I notice Luke backing farther and farther into the corner …I look over at him and he looks at me with very watery eyes. I knew exactly what he had done. And just in case I wasn’t sure, the smell confirmed my suspicions. :( The smell just kept getting worse and worse and the exam was not even half way over. It was just impossible to ignore, so I decide that the best thing to do is say, “I’m so sorry Dr. T. I think my little one had an accident in his pants and that is why it smells so bad in here.”
Goodbye dignity… I hope to meet again someday.
I will spare you the details of the clean up process…yuck.
Tomorrow is a new day…one that will hopefully be free of car boots and poopy pants.
…jenn :)
I had no intention of taking such a long break from my blog, but one thing led to another and it is now almost February. ;) We spent the majority of Christmas break in Nebraska, and I thought that I would blog while we were there but instead I just enjoyed being there. We had such a great time with family. Since this blog is like a scrapbook for my family I do want to do a quick recap…for memories sake. :)
The kids were so excited for snow. They were just sure that they would be able to go sledding with their cousins. However, this was the extent of the snow that we saw and instead we enjoyed some really nice December days. I, for one, was really thankful for the nice weather because after 5 years in Texas I am definitely becoming a big wimp with the cold!
Santa came and brought presents for all the kids. Luke was less than thrilled with the “ladies first” policy for opening presents. ;)
I got my Christmas miracle and was able to get a good picture of the 6 of us on Christmas day. ;) There was some tebowing, a talent show put on by all the cousins, lots of playing, time spent with Grammy…Oh, and of course we ate and drank coffee…and ate and drank coffee, and ate and drank coffee, etc…
The last two pictures were taken while we were all together and my in-laws used them for their Christmas letter. This should answer the question I have to answer the most when people hear how big the family is. Do you all fit in one house? Yes, yes we do. :)
It was a blessed Christmas and we did not get back to Texas until January 3rd so we hit the new year running. 2012 is going to look a little different for me. I am making some changes…letting some things go…and trusting God as He leads and guides. I am excited. As the Lord gives me the words, I will share about some of the things He has laid on my heart.
He has always been faithful and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that He will continue to be…
This songs says it so perfectly.
Grateful for my faithful God…
jenn:)
