Joy-N-Jesus

Morning, Noon, and Night

2012-01-27T19:16:00.000-08:00

Hi ALL! We have been non stop around here. Not with events and travel and adventure, but with sickness, colds, coughs, and more sickness. Literally it has been a morning, noon, and night party; huh! To add to it my power cord to my computer decided it had had enough. We searched for one on ebay and found one, but it took almost two weeks to receive it. Yep! Just a little frustrating when it was coming from the same state. However, I am so glad it's here today! I have missed by computer and the ability to email and post here!

So a little update on the pregnancy....

The question I get asked the most since announcing the news of our fourth on the way is, "How are you feeling?" or "Do you have Morning sickness?" the answer I gave for the first three pregnancy's was something like this..."I am good. I can't complain. Little sick in the AM but not too bad." HOWEVER this baby number 4 is doing me in! Morning, Noon, Night this little one is causing me to suffer all hours of the day. Nausea is my new normal, and I have to say I am not liking this new intruder on my life and hoping and praying he leave soon. I eat I feel nauseated, I don't eat I feel nauseated. I eat plain food I feel nauseated if I eat flavored food I feel nauseated. I have not been able to find much that gives my stomach any kind of peace or relief.

HOWEVER...

The other day a sweet lady from Tu's office reminded me that feelings of nausea mean that good things are happening inside. Awe, it was such sweetness to my ears. In the fight to keep food down and decipher which food might settle best, I had forgotten that there is a little boy or girl in there that I will soon hold in my arms. It was exactly what I needed to hear! It was a word from the Lord and I was so thankful for it!

So morning, noon, and night when this new intruder enters my body I want to focus on the "good" going on and thank God for the life growing inside me.

1, 2, 3, 4

2012-01-17T01:00:00.000-08:00

Look carefully at this picture! :) Yep... our family is going from 3 to 4 little blessings! The Lord has decided to give us another baby!

Each time the Lord blesses us with a little one I try to surprise my man, and our parents with a special and unique way of telling them. Here is how I told of the 1st Baby, 2nd Baby, and 3rd Baby... and the 4th baby....

So my man came home from a long day at work and a fun little surprise was awaiting him. He always comes in our side door which opens to a little nook table in the kitchen. On top of the table was a lit candle, a large paper, as pictured above, with the numbers 1,2,3,4 and a positive pregnancy test pointing to the #4. As soon as he opened the door the kids and I were standing near the table yelling surprise! We had the house decorated like a party, streamers, balloons, and signs that read...

"We R having #4!"

It was such a joy watching our daddy light up and being able to celebrate this special life with our family! We are so excited and so thankful to the Lord to welcome this new life into our family!

We would love your prayers for a safe and healthy pregnancy, baby, and delivery!

linking to...
http://www.crystalandcomp.com/

Martin Luther King Jr.

2012-01-16T09:24:00.000-08:00

Love this holiday! Love the boldness and stand Martin Luther King Jr. made for equal rights, but more importantly his stand for what he knew God's word said as he proclaimed God's design for us all to live in peace and love each other (no mater how they differ) as Jesus loves us all!

This is a great little video to show your children!

We will celebrate tonight with our annual MLK party at our house! More to come later on what we do for that! Blessings to you all! Keep living like Jesus and may the boldness of MLK inspire us to live boldly for our Father God today!

Explaining Death to Children

2012-01-14T14:30:00.000-08:00

I recently lost my dear grandmother, Nanny Sue. You can read more here if you would like.

One of the hard things about loosing loved ones is explaining death and dying to children. We read this book to our children (which is wonderful) and then explained that our Nanny Sue was in Heaven!

We let them share that they were sad about her loss and ask questions. We in turn shared that we were sad too and that we would miss her terribly, but that she was with Jesus!

In no pain and was dancing and enjoying Heaven.

This book and our conversation helped them to understand a little better. It is never easy, but pray for word of wisdom to flow from you, and ask God to give them (the kids) hearts to understand! He will!

Heaven For Real!

2012-01-13T15:27:00.000-08:00

So those of you who follow know that my amazing and wonderful Nanny Sue went to be with Jesus. For those of you who have lost loved ones who are close to you know the pain and questioning that takes place. No matter the age or situation in life it is never easy to face the death of someone you love.

Nanny Sue was almost 86, the mother of 15! Yep 15 and was a beautiful woman on the inside and out!

I have been a christian for most of my life, have lost classmates, past boyfriend, dearest grandpa's, great-grand parents, and sweet and treasured friends to death. Most of them believed in God and had a personal relationship with Jesus. My Nanny Sue loved Jesus with all her heart, was a true example of Him, and walked in humility and adoration of God more then anyone I have ever met.

Yet, her death has been the hardest and most faith shaking of all. I spent days before her death visiting her frail body and enjoying the last moments of her sweet spirit. I would leave and cry out for mercy to the Lord for her. The Lord gave me a verse two days before she passed Micah 7:18 b says, "He delights in mercy." I remember going for a run the day she passed, I believe she was out side getting her last breaths of fresh air at the time while family sang to her. I remember running and praying for her and thinking so much about her that it was difficult to even breathe myself. I slowed my run as tears streamed down and the crisp breeze blew past my face as I began my cry and questions to the Lord . "Jesus, you say you delight in mercy! Please have mercy on this daughter, loving, humble servant of yours."

The phone call came not long after I was home and hit harder then a powerful blow to the gut. Why is it that we know death is coming. It will come to us all, and yet even when we know it is coming it still sneaks up on us and shocks us all. Shock is a light way of describing what the next few days, week, would be like.

The service was absolutely beautiful and the support from family and friends was unreal! I loved hearing all the amazing stories of how she impacted others for eternity sake.

However, even at the service I found myself asking God why? Questioning what heaven was like, what she was doing now, and how crazy and short life here on earth seems. My man always says, "These are the times that challenge us, "Do you really believe what you say you believe?"

Do you believe that when you die, if you have a personal relationship with Jesus, believe He came to earth, died on the cross, and was raised from the dead so that we might have a opportunity to choose and believe and spend eternity in heaven with Him. Do I believe that? Yes I do! I have been through the arguments in my head and studied them out to know it is truth! I have heard God's voice, seen Him work miracles in my family, in our lives, in our community, watched Him provide and protect us in only ways God can. I know He is real! I know He loves me and died for me! I know He wants a relationship with me! I know!

For me it was not the question of do I believe God is real and I need to have a relationship with Him. I do! And I treasure that relationship and want to know Him more and love Him deeper! For me the question was what is happening to Nanny Sue now? For me the question was do I really believe Heaven is for real? Do I believe the BIBLE and what God/Jesus promise throughout the scriptures is true? Is Nanny Sue now in Heaven with others we loved so much? Is she without pain? Does she have the new healthy and alive body? So many questions were raging through my mind about heaven. I had never really stopped to dig deeper and now I just had to! I wanted to!

As we returned from the service and life continued as usual, the empty void in my inmost was something I could not ignore. I began to pray... "Lord I believe, I know I believe, help my unbelief or what felt like an uneasy questioning of my faith."

The next night I shared with my man the struggle I was having. We talked for a while about Heaven and God's plan for our lives and the why's behind it all. He referenced scripture and shared his wisdom with me the Lord brought some light and answers to my heart and mind. Reminders that He LOVES us and that He has allowed us to live and choose and love so that we know a little bit more about who He is! As we finished our discussion with tears and prayers I was overwhelmed by God's love to speak to me. To answer me, to answer the questions of my faith. He is good!

The next two days the Lord continued to answer me with these scriptures as encouragement as He gently speaks into my heart and life that He is HOPE, He is REAL, He is LOVE, His Word is REAL and He has great plans for each of us, and HEAVEN is for REAL!

I Corinthians 2: 9

Eyes have not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which GOD has prepared for those who LOVE HIM.

Haggai 3:5a Haggai 3:17 Malachi 3:6
Haggai 1: 13b Haggai 2:4&5 I Corinthians 1:18 & 25
I Corinthians 2: 5, 9,

My parents had given each of the kids in our family a copy of the book, "HEAVEN is for REAL" for Christmas and even blessed the kids with a copy of the children's version.

I picked the book up two days ago and in two nap times and I was finished with the book! I couldn't put it down. THe Lord used so many passages and this young boy's story to confirm and reaffirm His truth to me that Heaven is for Real! And not only was heaven for real, but that Nanny Sue was there, with Dad (her hubby) and Uncle Dan (her son) and many others who are all enjoying the abundant life in Christ that we will enjoy with them one day if we choose, as they did, to believe.

I am a firm believer that you have to question and cry out to God when there is doubt and uncertainty. Sometimes it can be scary, but it is so needed to anchor the faith. The one thing I will say is that I would encourage going to the BIBLE and Godly men and women for the answers!

The Lord has answered me through His word, the Bible, my man, and through this book. He is so gracious! He loves us and wants us to know how real He is. He wants to be active and apart of our lives! He wants us all to spend eternity in Heaven with Him! He wants us to believe heaven is for real, but more importantly HE is for REAL! The only way to heaven is to believe in HIM!

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten son.

That whoever BELIEVES on HIM will not perish but have EVERLASTING LIFE!

Today my prayer is that you would believe on Him and that you would know God is Real, Jesus is Real, and Heaven is Real and that you may choose LIFE!

Thank you for letting me share my heart with you today! I would love to talk to anyone more if interested.

Check out this Give AWAY!

2012-01-13T11:30:00.000-08:00

Ruby Jean’s and A Sort of Fairy Tale’s

House Warming Party!!!

You have got to check it out! WOW! So generous!

Annoyed with Blogger!

2012-01-13T11:00:00.000-08:00

Have any of you had this annoying issue about blogger saying you have reached your upload quota?!
The thing that is so frustrating to me is that all these sites, blogger, hulu, you tube, all start out being free and now want to charge anyone and everyone for anything. Sorry. Just a little frustrating! I have no idea how to work wordpress or if they charge after a certain number of uploads but this is annoying!

Any thoughts? This is the message I keep getting. First it was in my sidebar only and now it's in my posting too. Huh!

There were errors during upload.

The following images were not uploaded.
heaven-is-for-real-for-kids.jpg : You have exceeded your total photo upload quota.
How can I get more storage for my images?
Images and photos that are uploaded through Blogger get stored in your Picasa Web Albums, which are part of your Google Account. The number of images you can upload is therefore dependent on the amount of space you are using on Picasa Web Albums. To find out how much space you have available, please see these instructions.
Note: If you have recently upgraded your quota limit, you may have to login to your PWA account, in order for the new storage quota to be reflected on Blogger.
Heaven-is-for-real.jpg : This image was skipped because of other upload errors.
We're sorry, but you have exceeded your photo upload quota. For more information, check out this Blogger help page.

Healthy Lunch

2012-01-10T01:00:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year all! This is a great meal to kick of a healthy start to the new year! Come check it out!

~And now for Make it Monday!~

HEALTHY Tuna Lettuce wraps. They are quick, delicious, and easy! Hope you enjoy!

~First I used the Roman Lettuce leafs and layered them with Swiss Cheese. ~

~ Then scoop Tuna on for the next layer~

For our Tuna: I mixed a little Mayo, Relish, and Tuna together

~Sprinkle with Salt and Pepper~

Quick, Simple, Delicious, and Healthy! Even my kids gobbled them! Hope you enjoy!

Linking to:
Tuesday at the Table

Our GREAT Loss Heaven's Gain

2012-01-03T15:47:00.000-08:00

For those of you who know me personally or follow my blog regularly you know the fight our dear Nanny Sue has had with cancer. Well last night, January 2nd, she went home to be with Jesus. We will miss her more then words can explain! She was truly one of a kind! A wonderful woman, wife, mother, sister, grandmother, great-grandmother, friend, and angel! The words on this canvas are a few adjectives that describe this amazing woman! She truly left a Legacy of Love that boldly proclaimed Jesus! She will forever hold a special place in all our hearts! I am so thankful that she new Jesus personally, had Him in her heart, and we will see her again, forever, in Heaven! If you have not seen the video of her you can click ...

Nanny Sue Video

We love you Nanny Sue! You were a inspiration to us all! Please pray for Peace for all the family!

2012 Goals

2012-01-02T17:15:00.001-08:00

Hey there! I am sorry for the delay on this, but I wanted to share how we are recording our 2012 goals! There is something so refreshing about the new year and goal setting. You know what I mean? I love fresh starts and the feeling of accomplishment too! After viewing sweet Randi's goal sheet I created this Yearly Goals printable

for our family. You can type it on or print it out and write it on. I am a fan of handwriting so I decided to print it out and write it on. You can do whatever you would like! The goals we set were for...

Home: any home improvement; i.e. plant a garden

Spiritual: any goals for spiritual growth; i.e. Start a Marriage Bible Study

Health and Fitness: typical goals about exercise and eating better; i.e. workout 3x's a week

Financial: any goals related to our finances; i.e. save for a new car

Family: any Family goals; i.e. family walks

Children: anything for the children; i.e. potty train baby J

Personal: We set individual goals for us; i.e. jewels: scrap 100 layouts

Thank you for coming by and I hope your New year is blessed with lots of refreshing and inspiring blessings!

linking here

New Year Goals

2012-01-01T10:39:00.000-08:00

Something great about a fresh new year! Don't you agree? A chance to start from scratch, set new goals, and watch, learn, and grow. I have always enjoyed setting goals, but I have really loved when I actually fulfilled the goals I set. The feeling of accomplishment and growing as a child of the King is wonderful part of life. This year the Lord has gently, but graciously, reminded me that it is important to be intentional in making the most of the life He has given us. Goal's are a way to do just that!

I have created two Printables for Goal Setting. One for our Family and one for Personal use. Hope you find these useful as you set your goals for 2012! I love looking back on each year to see what I was able to accomplish! Life is short! Let's be intentional!

Price Year in Review: 2011

2012-01-01T00:36:00.000-08:00

WOW! For real! 2011 is gone! Time really does fly!
For us this year has been full of a number of great times and true joys! Not to say it has been perfect, or it has been easy, because frankly, it has been some of the toughest times we have had too. However, God remains to be great and we remain to trust His sovereignty. With that said I want to share our

2011 Year in Review
Printable

that my hubby and I created to recap our year. This is fun to look back on and see all that you did in that year. It is also a great way to save a piece of your family's history! We created bullet points for each month to highlight the different events and trips that occurred that month. We send a Valentines letter to our Family each year updating what has taken place in the Price household. This is a way we can outline our year for the letter and have fun looking back on it in the future.

Example:
January:
* Celebrated our First New Year in our New City and Home
* Went on our first date night after Jaylin's birth
* Took the Kids to the Children's Museum
* Wedding for Brett and Sally Sams
* Found our new church, Venture Christian Fellowship
* God blessed us with a work bonus
* Started a Marriage Bible Study
* Tre started first soccer season

Hope you enjoy this and can use it!

May the Lord bless you this new year! May you grow in His knowledge more and more, and may His love fill your heart and homes now and through the year!

I am so thankful for you! Happy New Year!

Linking up HERE

NANNY SUE: Video Interview

2011-12-28T00:23:00.000-08:00

For those of you who may not know my Nanny Sue... she truly is ONE OF A KIND! My amazing grandmother has been in a recent battle with cancer. She is a strong and beautiful reflection of Jesus even in the midst of this pain.

The wife of one, (Bart) Dad Brown, and the mother of 15 this beautiful lady has more then 100 people in her immediate family, and I am so thankful to God for allowing me to be a granddaughter to her. I am honored! Truly I can't say enough good about her! She just one of those people you aspire to be like.

During my late high school years I became fascinated with the history and origin of my family. As my life continues I am more intrigued about my family and our roots. The legacy of love, faith, and passion for God that have been passed down have impacted greatly and I wanted to capture it some how.

Usually I would Scrapbook a special memory, time, or person in my life, and believe me I have done a few pages on my wonderful Nanny Sue, but I wanted to do more! More to preserve this legacy she has left of true selflessness, humility, faith, and joy. The idea was given to me by the Lord and my family has helped make this possible. Special thank you to my man, Tu, who worked with me on this special treasure! Your the best babe!

To our family! We love you and pray you are blessed by this little treasure to pass on as we preserve the legacy of Christ-like love we see in Nanny Sue. We love you all! Grab some tissue, a family member to hold, and a blanket... it's 1hr and 30mins... but it is sweet, sweet, sweet!

I would encourage any and all of you reading this to do this with your grandparents and parents. Take the time to preserve the legacy of your family! It has been a honor and blessing to create this. It is worth every ounce of time you will spend. I thank the Lord for giving me the idea! To HIM be all glory!

I will write again on more of the details soon.

In the mean time please pray for our family as we endure this difficult time!
Thank you all!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T23:00:00.000-08:00

WOW! Can't believe it's CHRISTmas! Hope you are enjoying your time with family celebrating the birth and life of the Savior! It is our prayer that the Lord bless you and your family this CHRISTmas! Take Joy in those little moments this CHRISTmas that make this time of year so wonderful!

For God so LOVED the World that He gave His only SON, that whoever would believe on Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life!

John 3:16

Christmas Breakfast Burritos

2011-12-24T21:47:00.000-08:00

Okay so I had to share this last minute Christmas breakfast idea. Breakfast Burritos! Yum! Yum! Yum!
It came from my Sara, who got it from my aunt Joanne. I have taken the basic, added some color, and modified it to be my own. Thanks ladies for the amazing idea! Can't wait to enjoy it tomorrow morning!

~Christmas Morning Egg Burritos~

To start mix 4 eggs and add to a casorle style pan.

Cut and add spinach (you can also add tomatoes, mushrooms, bell peppers) to the 2nd layer

Add 1/2 cup each of Monterey and Cheddar Cheese to the 3rd layer

Add Salsa as the 4th layer: (you can hold it on half for kids)

Add 1/2 cup each of Monterey and Cheddar Cheese to the Top (you can sprinkle with bacon bits)

Bake in oven for 45 minutes on 350

scoop into a burrito for a

CHRISTMAS BREAKFAST BURRITO!

Or slice and serve with toast and oranges!

Whatever you do it will be Yummy!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Project Reflections

2011-12-23T22:46:00.000-08:00

Hey! Hey! Oh my! Here it comes! Christmas is a comin! YEA! I wanted to take a minute to recap on some of the Christmas projects I have Created. If you want to know more then what is posted here click on the RED text and it will take you to the past post. Merry Christmas and hope you enjoy!

This is my "Believe" sign.

Advent Banner

Christmas Banner

Family Wreath

Christmas Ornaments

CHRISTmas Home Decor

Holiday Scrapbooking and Traditions

Simple Christmas Gifts

Snowball Oreos

Christmas Gift Journals

Thank you for coming by! May the Lord bless your Christmas!

Guest Post: Kelli from The Inspired Collection

2011-12-23T01:00:00.000-08:00

Hello fellow readers and bloggers! My name is Kelli and I am the creator of The Inspired Collection. Today I am so excited to be featured at Joy-N-Jesus, it is such an awesome blog with such a great message! Thanks Jewels for the opportunity to share a little about myself and The Inspired Collection!

I am a newlywed, and first time home owner, who entered the bloggy world in July of 2011. I decided to start The Inspired Collection to share our journey of creating our new construction home into our own personal oasis, and it has turned into so much more. I love sharing my inspirations, crafts, and have really enjoyed sharing all of our fun and yummy recipes. I have had so much fun connecting with other bloggers and readers and have enjoyed sharing my creations, as well as reading and learning about everyone else's creativity.

(me and the hubs)

I hope that you can find the time today to stop on over and give a shout out to Jewels, as well as check out some of our posts. Here's a sneak peek of what The Inspired Collection has to offer and a button to grab!

Here is a little Christmas craft that I created over the Thanksgiving break! I decided to dress up our dining room chairs, these red velvet ribbon and pine cone decor really gives it a little pizazz! Check out our christmas chairs!

I recently completed our first gallery wall.You can read more about where I found my inspiration for it, as well as how it was created.

This has been one of my favorite recipes, Dessert Kabobs, a simple and yummy treat!

Here is a peak at my very first furniture remodel. I gave this hutch a new life, from drab to fab!

I also enjoy finding new ways to create beautiful gift wrapping, something better than a gift bag! This is something I created for my neighbors 1 year old birthday party! He is such a cutie!

And of course, our kick off post featured Our DIY Wedding. Since our wedding in June we have attended 4 more weddings and I featured all of them and their creativity in each of their own posts.

Thanks for taking the time to read a little bit about me and The Inspired Collection and a special Thanks to Jewels for featuring my blog today! She rocks, doesn't she?! I know my readers are having a blast meeting her! I hope you guys will stop by my page and check it out! Thanks for getting to know me and The Inspired Collection!

Warm Christmas Treat

2011-12-22T00:00:00.000-08:00

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! The countdown is on! I am so excited about Christmas! I am overjoyed and excited to spend time with family and celebrating the Savior's birth! I love being home, around family, and enjoying the simple times with our kidos.

Recently we treated our kids to a simple and delicious little treat that I must share!

You and your kidos will love it... and the Man of the house will too!

This WARM treat is from Trader Joe's, but you can get Chai many places. However, I have

TWO TIPS for you...

1. You must by the powder Chai. Liquid Chai has a different taste; good, but nothing compares to this...

2. Mix with Milk... Not water

it makes it hearty, warm, cozy, and lends to times around the fire.

3. I know I said 2, but I can't help recommending a little whip cream on top! I don't know about you, but my kids get such a kick out of whip cream. This is worth adding to your shopping list for Christmas morning or a last minute gift too! You can buy two coffee cups, some chai, and some whip cream, add it to a basket and surprise a friend or family member with a sweet and warm gift! Whatever you do you have got to try it! You will LOVE it!

Taking joy in the little things! Life is short! Enjoy today!

Coffee and Conversation Thursday
Transform Thursdays
Delightful Order
Plate is Full
Made you Look Thursdays
Taking Time Out Thursday
Show off your Stuff
Around the Table
Strut your stuff
Crazy Cute Thursdays

Raising Homemakers

Christmas Card Solution: Updated

2011-12-21T21:41:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to show you a quick update on how the Christmas Card banner looks now that we have received a good amount of cards. Our family has so enjoyed being able to see the display of cards this year. Thank you to all of you who have send us some Christmas love with a card! We are lovin them!

Thank you for stopping by!

Angel Tree

2011-12-21T15:07:00.001-08:00

We were blessed to be apart of Angel Tree this year at our church. If you don't know what Angel Tree is, you can read more about it here. This was such a special time! We had the opportunity to partner with our church to provide a night of fun and gifts for children who's have a parent who is incarcerated. It was such a blessed night and so nice to meet so many sweet families! This is an event the whole family can participate in. I would highly recommend it. You can participate on so many levels... Crafts, gift buying, prayers, cookies and punch, set up, clean up, greeting and more. It is one of those things that you thing your going to serve and be a blessing and you get ministered to and blessed too!

~~~~

Check out how talented they were when it came to decorating their cookies. Such creativity! I was impressed!

I was humbled and honored to be able to participate! God is so good!

Guest Post: Christina Johnson

2011-12-21T03:00:00.000-08:00

Hey there all! I have a special read for you today from Christina Johnson. Christina works remotely for Elliman Prudential. She is using her journalism major to combine what she loves most, writing and her career. Her specialties include home decor design and DIY home improvement projects. Enjoy!

Fun Family Activities for the Cold Winter Months

Article submitted by Christina Johnson

Cold winter weather means families have plenty of opportunities to enjoy time together in the warmth of their home, or can go outside for a wintertime adventure in the snow. However you choose to use your time, the winter offers unique opportunities for you and your family to have fun and enjoy each other's company. Here are a few ideas to help get you started:

Christmas Lights Viewing: Many houses start putting up elaborate Christmas light displays around Thanksgiving. It can be a lot of fun to bundle everyone in the family up in the car with a few travel mugs of hot cocoa and a CD of favorite holiday music and drive through the neighborhoods, looking at lights. Try to see which neighborhood has the best displays; you can ask around among friends for suggested routes, or just make an adventure of driving through new neighborhoods.

Decorate Your House: Decorations bring some light and color to an otherwise drab, gray season. You can choose to decorate your home inside or out, and get every member of the family involved by hanging up decorations, coloring pictures, or even making ornaments.

Holiday Baking: Homemade baked goods make great gifts and can be a wonderful way to spend a winter afternoon. This is also a great way to start teaching your children how to cook, as even the youngest can participate in some aspect of cooking. Let your children measure and pour ingredients, mix up batters, or decorate cookies and cakes. When you're done, you can gift-wrap your creations and deliver them throughout the neighborhood. Just be sure to save some for yourself!

Volunteer: For many, the holiday season is a time of giving, and that means sharing with those who are less fortunate. Most communities will have holiday volunteer opportunities, either through fundraisers, soup kitchens, family "adoption" programs, or other social activist programs. Check with your church to see if they have any programs going, or search online to see if there is a way for your family to get involved. Volunteering is a great way to help your children appreciate what they have and learn compassion for others.

Enjoy The Winter Weather: If you live in a part of the country that gets snow, enjoy it! Build snowmen and forts with your children, have a snowball fight, or learn how to cross-country ski or toboggan down the hills of your neighborhood. Follow up with a hot mug of tea or hot chocolate afterward. You can even make "snow ice cream" by mixing fresh snow with a little milk and some maple syrup -- yum!

Go Caroling: Singing is a fun group activity for all ages. See if there are any local caroling groups, or put one together yourself with friends and family. You don't have to limit yourself to old classics: Nearly any festive song can be sung on a caroling expedition! Before you go out, make sure everyone is familiar with the words and agree to your song collection.

There are so many fun things to do with your family during the winter. There's no reason to stay cooped up in your house or NYC Condo, when you could take advantage of so many great opportunities to spend quality time with the people who matter most. Do you have any other fun suggestions for winter activities? Tell us about them!

3 Dollar Christmas Decor

2011-12-20T11:00:00.000-08:00

Hey! Hey! Only 5 days left! Are you ready? We are getting very excited around here! When I returned from church late last night to kiss my kids the oldest said, while half asleep, "Mommy, we going to have a fun day on the 20 tomorrow!" I laughed and said, "Yes, bubba, we will have a fun day on the 20th tomorrow." He couldn't wait to count another day on the Advent Calender.

Because we are close to christmas I have two things to share! One is this idea for Decorating. It is a 3 dollar decor piece. Yep! 3 bucks! That is it! The vase, red stylophone pebbles, and the plant decor were all purchased at the dollar store. Got to love a good deal; right. So here it is the final product!

Thanks for comin by! Take JOY in the days leading to Christmas!

Linking to:
let's see it Wednesdays

What Ya Makin for your Christmas Dinner?

2011-12-20T09:13:00.000-08:00

Hey there! I was just curious as to what you are making for Christmas Dinner. I am thinking of doing something different this year as the main course. My sweet friend Sara is doing Prime Rib, which sounds amazing. I am not sure what I will do yet for the main course. Have any suggestions?

However these are the side dishes I will do for sure...

Sweet Potatoes
Greens
Salad
Deviled Eggs as the app (just cause I love them)

So what you makin? Leave me a comment or a link to your post! Oh, and by the way... My sweet friend Eva and I will soon be hosting a link party! We look forward to having you join us for link parties in the future!
Thanks for coming by!

Family Update

2011-12-19T23:42:00.001-08:00

Hey! hey! I wanted to take a quick minute and give a family update. We have been rejoicing in this time of year and busy as you I am sure. We had a few tough weeks prior to this one with my Man's Doctorate work and work schedule. He worked long hard hours finishing a 30 page paper and a whole portfolio before his two week break. So we have been busy, but now we are ready to relax and enjoy the Christmas season! Here are a few things that have kept us busy and living! Taking in those joys!

~Date Night~

~Hockey Game~

~Work Christmas Dinner~

~Decorating for Christmas~

~The kids were SOOOO into this year and it has made it so much fun~

~The Three little Amigos~

~Hanging their own ornaments~

~Naps~

~Cookie Party and Cookie Making~

~Crafts~

~ Back to Bethlehem~

~New Sushi~

~Gifts from sweet friends~

~Silly Fun~

We are thankful to be able to have these many joys that keep us busy and our life full! Treasure those little Joyful moments in life!

Genius of Generosity

2011-12-18T23:13:00.000-08:00

I just have to share this with you all! It is a recent Series and book that our pastor wrote. The past few messages at church have been amazing! When you get some time these messages are so good!

Hope you are blessed. Click HERE to get a link to the series.

My you be filled with His joy today,

Christmas Decor

2011-12-17T23:10:00.000-08:00

Oh, are you all ready for Christmas? We have been enjoying all the fun of being home and preparing for the Savior's Birthday. Here is a peek at our Christmas Decorations.

Let me tell you about the blessing of our Christmas tree this year.

We usually buy a live tree, and last year we did not have a tree because we were traveling so much, and our plan was to find a fake one on sale last year after Christmas. Well... everywhere we went we couldn't find one we liked in our price range. So we waited. Well, this year we just happened to find this beauty, after praying, at the Goodwill. Yep, brand new in the box. A $149.00 tree for $35.00. I don't share this to boast in anyone, but it was totally a answered prayer from the Lord. It was truly a little miracle blessing. God is good and we are so thankful for our Christmas tree blessing!

~~~~~

Now this is one of my favorite things to put up each year. This is a Creative Memories Frame with a scrapbooking layout I did a while back to remind us of the true meaning of Christmas.

~~~~~

Each Christmas I change out the main frames around our house and put pictures from past Christmas or Pictures of our family in red. Just to bring in the Christmas spirit. You can also see the frames in the pictures below have been changes out.

Because the advent banner is hanging on our fireplace, this is what I did with the stockings this year. This is just until Christmas and I will hang them on the fireplace again.

Just a different way to changes things up.

~~~~~

And the Family room at a glance.

May the joy of Jesus fill your homes as we get closer to the celebration of His birth.

Healthy Christmas Snacks for Kids

2011-12-17T18:30:00.000-08:00

Hey there! I don't know about you, but during Christmas, and any holiday for that matter, it becomes difficult for my little chicks to want "healthy snacks." Can I blame them? Not really! There are so many yummy treats floating around. While those sweet treats are okay in limitation I try to make sure the kids are getting some "quality" food too.

Today I have a solution, maybe a tip:). Make the plate fun, the snack healthy, and the kids will love it. You win; they win!

Adding some string cheese, veggie sticks, carrots and hummus, oranges, and raisins to a fun and festive plate excites the kids about eating healthy "Christmas snacks."

Here is to healthy eating!

Snowball Oreo Joe Joe's

2011-12-16T02:30:00.000-08:00

You all ready for the a simple little treat that is sure to bring joy to your Christmas celebration, party, gift, or even your own tummy! I call these Snowball Oreo's (Joe Joe's). Can you say YUMMY! For real! These are so good and so simple.

What you will need: Oreo's (or like). In this case we used Peppermint flavored Joe-Joe's. They are just like Oreo's, but suppose to have no preservatives and be a healthier option.

Start with a light spray of olive oil on the bottom of a pan.

Heat white chocolate chips over medium heat, continually stir until melted through.

Submerge Oreo's in the white chocolate, place on foil and decorate.

Put in Freezer for 2-5 minutes to harden.

Eat and enjoy or place them in a cute container, cookie box, or bag for a Christmas gift.

May you have a Joy filled day!

~Jewels~
linking to a:

Check ME Out Saturday

Happy Birthday Dad

2011-12-15T21:53:00.000-08:00

It's my Dad's birthday today and I just want to give him a quick little shout out!

I know many people have a deep love for their dad, but I feel like I am one of those who have that extra special deep love and appreciation for mine. He is the greatest! He was always so wise and loving. So many wonderful memories with him.

Some of my favorites include our lunch dates. When I was in High School he use to pick me up for lunch every now and again. I loved our one on one time just to chat and have some yummy food. He was always up for fun and he was sure to plan family vacations and events. Playing the guitar and signing to us before bed was another treasures I will keep with me always. I am reminded of that so often when my own kids ask me to sing to them before they sleep. It just brought such peace and comfort as a child. I now see that in my own children.

I can't forget all the times I pretended to be asleep when we would get home from my grandparents house just so he would carry me inside. I loved that! His Hugs always, and often still do, make me cry. Oh and the numerous times I came to him for advice, questions, and answers about my faith. He was great about directing me to God's word for the answers and providing just the right encouragement or correction I needed. I could go on and on. He is such a blessing! I will leave you with a

FEW more things I love about him...

He is...
A Man of God
Trustworthy
Kind
Compassionate
Generous
Wise
Fun
Hard Working
Passionate
Determined
Leader
Bold

These are just a few of the things I love about my dad. Happy Birthday dad! Love you much!

Simple Christmas Gift Ideas

2011-12-14T21:49:00.000-08:00

Hey! Hey! It's thursday and I hope your weekend was joyful! We are on the official countdown to Christmas! Only two weeks away! Are you ready? Last Friday I mailed off my "out of state" gifts and I am focusing on local gifts this week! I wanted to share a few ideas here for a quick, simple, and meaningful gift to give to Co-workers, Neighbors, Dr's, Dentists, Chiropractors, Mail/Trash/Lawn men/women, or even family or friends.

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

This little container below is from...You guested it... the dollar bin at Target! We, my kids and I, added stickers to the top and sides, placed some cookies inside, and tied some ribbon around the handles! So fun and so sweet! You can also add candy canes or Christmas candy if you don't want to bake cookies.

Another super easy idea is to grab a box of Christmas Cookies, add some ribbon, and twine give a little Christmas note. We gave these to our sweet Mrs. Kollene for watching our kidos! Just a simple way to say thanks or Merry Christmas!

Hope your are able to take in the many Joy's of this Christmas season! Have a blessed week! I would love to see your gift ideas for Christmas too!

Linking to:

Transform Thursdays
Delightful Order
Plate is Full
Made you Look Thursdays
Taking Time Out Thursday
Show off your Stuff
Around the Table
Strut your stuff
Crazy Cute Thursdays
DIY Diva

Raising Homemakers

Guest Feature: STARDUST

2011-12-14T00:00:00.000-08:00

HI FRIENDS! I HAVE A SWEET LADY TO FEATURE TODAY FROM STARDUSTED, OLGA, WHO IS SHARING A FEW OF HER CHRISTMAS CREATIONS AND DECORATIONS. OLGA IS A TALENTED, STYLISH, AND CRAFTY LADY WHO HAS GREAT IDEAS. YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY CHECK OUT HER BLOG; HER TRANSFORMATION SECTION IS SO FUN TO VIEW, BUT FIRST LET ME SHOW YOU A PEEK AT WHAT SHE HAS FEATURED HERE TODAY...

Christmas is all around us....la la la ...

To get into the spirit, my lovely stardusted readers, I give you some snippets of my Christmas decorated house.

During the day

At night

(this one is from last year's decoration)

BUT WAIT THERE IS MORE! CHECK OUT THE CUTEST IDEA SHE HAD FOR A FUN ADVENT CALENDAR!

Hello my stardusted readers!
Today it was a crazy day for me. I was super busy as it was my birthday and I had to prepare the house for some good friends and family that were coming over.Meanwhile I head over to IKEA for some stuff that I wanted and there I saw some cute Christmas little paper bags. I liked them so much that I had to buy them without knowing what I would do with them. When all the visitors left from our mini party (great cake by the way!) I came up with an idea! Since tomorrow - well...actually today - is the 1st of December I would make a kind of an advent calendar! So, I put a number on each one of them, filled them with kid's stuff and... wanna see my creation?

This is some of the stuff that I used to fill in the bags. Candies, little chocolates, Christmas tree ornaments, cookies, lollipops, little toys and pencils.

I know it's not an amazing or such a creative project, but it was super easy, cheap, last minute's project and I'm sure that kids are gonna love it!

appy holidays everyone!

THANK YOU OLGA AND THANK YOU ALL FOR STOPPING BY! HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS TALENTED AND FUN LADY!
MAKE SURE YOU STOP BY HER BLOG AND SAY HEY!

fabric and bows

9 Years Ago

2011-12-12T16:59:00.000-08:00

9 Years ago today...

my man asked me to...

MARRY HIM!

It was a very cold but clear night in Chicago. We were just going out on a normal date, to celebrate our year of dating, so I thought. Tu picked me up at my dorm with and walked me to the car, opened the door to let me in. I immediately reached for the mirror to do a quick last minute check :)... when a rose and card fell into my lap. I opened the card filled with sweet and romantic words and directions for the first stop for the night. The first stop was a yummy fish house for dinner, and a sweet time together, then the second card came with a cd he had made of music and pictures of our year of dating and instructions for the next stop....

The Cheesecake Factory, where a year prior he had asked me to be his girlfriend and gave me a sort of a promise ring that said Tu Price loves Jewels which I wore, and he wore the other which said Jewels Loves Tu Price. But not a promise to marry me ring. Just a promise to do our best to center our relationship on the Lord and love and be committed to each other. I know he's great isn't he! A total God sent after years of praying :)!

So at the cheesecake factory we ordered some cheesecake and once it arrived he said he had a little story he wanted to read me. So he read this story, which unknown to me was written by him, about this little boy who loved this little girl and basically told the whole story of us! Then at the end he got down on one knee, opened this beautiful white box, which lit up a gorgeous ring and asked me to spend the rest of my life with him....

Oh my gosh! I was in awe and so excited!

Of course I said YES!

There was not a doubt that this was the man God had brought me. That he was the one I prayed for since I was 11 years old. I was beyond excited!

We gloated in the moment and soaked it up! Then he prayed with me and gave me another card which left directions that we were going to...

Look at Christmas lights

So that is what we did! We drove through this beautiful display of neighborhood lights accompanied by Christmas music and called our parents! It was such a memorable moment! But it did not end there!

The final stop was back to our college where he had a hall decorated with candles, strawberries, sparkling cider, and music where we could just spend time enjoying the night and each other. It was truly remarkable! I don't know that I ever could get to sleep that night after all such an amazing night! It was truly more then I could think or imagine as the Lord promises when you wait and trust in Him! One day I will share how the Lord put us together and confirmed we were to be married, but for today I am celebrating 9 years ago when I said YES to the man I love!

Give Away Winner!!

2011-12-12T08:27:00.000-08:00

Thank you all who participated in the Christmas give away! Check out this video to see who the lucky winner was! The way I did it was gave a # for each comment. So the number in the video matches the person who was that # comment!

Marylin is our blessed winner! She was the 7th comment! So very blessed you all participated! Thank you again! Marylin if you can send me your address I will get those Christmas prizes out to you!

Blessings!

Christmas Wrapin Ideas

2011-12-10T22:30:00.000-08:00

Hey there! I am sure many of you are well into your Christmas wrappin now, and if not you have a pile of gifts ready to wrap! Either way you, I wanted to give you some fun ideas to spice up those packages! So here are a few different looks and ideas for wrappin those precious gifts. On these gifts I used some ribbon from my stash which I am also offering the same type of RIBBON in my give away HERE. Only one day left if you want to check it out. However you can use any type of ribbon you desire.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For the package below I decided to gather the ends and tie them off with RIBBON in bows to give a cute pigtail look. This works great with smaller gifts!

This Package is wrapped in RIBBON and then instead of tying a bow I tied one not, cut some extra strands and tied them on the opposite angle until I was able to get this pinwheel kind of look.

Notice RIBBON on the next two packages. Great for kids... it slips right off. Simple just wrap around once and tie in a bow.

And then the last look where the RIBBON is crossed the traditional way and tied with a bow.

Side note: For some gifts I put the tags on the back, I like the look better without the tag on the front. Just one of those preference things I guess. Hope you enjoyed this fun little way to keep the Joy in wrappin! If you have a unique or fun way to wrap gifts leave a comment and a link!

Blessings my friends! Remember JESUS is the greatest gift ever givin!

Christmas Ornaments and Christmas Give Away

2011-12-10T20:00:00.000-08:00

Hi All! I wanted to share with you two Christmas ornaments I have altered lately. I just love ornaments you can add a photo to,

so I was able to nab these and alter them.

Here they are...

And the good news is that I am giving them both to one of YOU and...

I had so much fun making these ornaments and thinking of Christmas! Don't you just love Christmas? So let me ask you...

Are you ready for CHRISTMAS? Well I am not, but I am getting there, and I am so excited about it! While planning my list of gifts to buy it made me wish I could give all of you a little something. Just a way to thank you for your sweet comments, prayers, support, and friendship. I truly enjoy all of you!

So in honor of all of you and to wish you all a wonderful Christmas I am posting a GIVEAWAY today! And here is what I am giving away.

* The two Ornaments above and 14 spools of Christmas ribbon!*

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

ENTER:

You will have one entry for each thing you do.

So leave a comment and let me know which you do!

#1. Be a follower of Joy N Jesus

#2: Post this Give Away on your blog and link it back to Joy N Jesus.

#3. Leave a comment telling me what you chose to do.

The GIVEAWAY will end on Monday December 12th. and the winner will be announced, December 12th. Winner will be drawn at random.

Thank you and Merry Christmas!

Linking to:

Tip Me Tuesday

Too Cute Tuesday

Homemade Tuesday

Guest Post: Delightful Creations

2011-12-09T14:36:00.001-08:00

Hey There! Today I have my dear friend Eva sharing from Delightful Creations. She is such a blessing! We've known each other for a few years now and I truly value and love her! I love talking with her about life and sharing all the Lord teaches us. She is a true sister and friend! She is a wonderful Wife, homemaker and Mommy. Not to mention the girl is a great crafter, decorator, and creator to boot!

She's here today sharing an awesome Christmas gift idea! Check it out!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi you guys! I'm so blessed to be here at Jewels blog! She's a huge blessing to me and someone that i cherish so dearly! She's been a great friend to me and has helped me a lot on my mommy journey. So i feel honored to be guest posting here with this fun christmas idea

Are you ready for one of the cutest & simplest thing ever?!?!?!

Basically what you'll need is a mason jar (any size you prefer), spray paint (whatever color you want), twine, felt (your color choice) & some kind of goody to fill your mason jar with. Were going to be doing Lavender Bath Salts which i have the tutorial for as well. I got the recipe from one of my friends (she will be sharing the bath salts recipe with the ladies)! It's incredibly easy to make & so inexpensive

First i'll give you a few pictures of the finished product & then the recipe will follow!!!

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

I spray painted the lid white for the big mason jar,

filled it up with some candy, wrapped twine around it & finished off by making a felt rosette. You can see how to make the flower HERE.

For the medium size jar, i spray painted the lid green,

filled it up with some chocolate drink mix & some marshmallows. Tied some ribbon around it & added a little button to give it a cute little touch.

For the cute little one, i spray painted the lid red,

added some Lavender Bath Salts to it, wrapped raffia around it & added a little flower poinsettia, easy right?!?!

You can add tags too. The big jar has one hanging from the twine (sorry you can't really see it, my bad ;/ ) & the small cute one has it on the top. A little different i know but i still liked how it looks. Who said a tag had to hang from somewhere all the time?

The tag just says TO & FROM. I left them blank so they can either give their mason jar away or keep it if they'd like.

I used my Cricut to cut lots and lots of circles so the ladies just have to glue them to the top of their mason jar. This project was so fun to make & i loved putting them all together.

I made three different ones using twine, ribbon and raffia so they can get other ideas on what else they can use. The ones that i'm going to be sharing with the ladies are the small ones, with twine and the felt flower. Ill be teaching them how to make the rosette and we've also provided candy and the Lavender Bath Salts so they can fill up their jar with whatever they'd like.

Did i mention how excited i am?

I think it's a super cute & an easy Christmas gift, especially if your like me & have to make like 50 gifts for Christmas! Yikes ;/ Well i guess i know what i'll be making :)

Okay so moving onto the Lavender Bath Salts.

Here are the Ingredients for this simple & yummy way to pamper ourselves & help us relax while taking a warm bath! Enjoy:)

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

You will need: Epsom Salt

Lavender Flowers (Michael's)

Lavender Oil (Michael's)

and bath salt coloring (Michael's). Yep just 4 ingredients! I told you this would be SUPER EASY!

Instructions: Combine the desired amount of epsom salts (enough to fill your jar/s) with food coloring until it reaches your desired tone. Mix well. We used a spoon to kinda smash down on the color. It mixed easier this way.

Add your Essential Oil & your Lavender Flowers and mix well again. That's it!!!! We kept it at a light green and we loved how it looked.

The salts can be used right away or you can allow them to set for a few weeks. This helps for the essential oil & the salts to blend better with each other.

Mmmm i can still smell it! We loved the way it all turned out & i can't wait until tomorrow to share this with all the women! Hope you enjoyed this long post, if you're even still reading it! Haha nite nite everybody, off to bed!

"You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance." Psalm 32:7

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you all for taking the time to stop by today to see Eva's great Christmas Gift!
Blessings to you all!

Christmas Card Banner

2011-12-07T20:26:00.001-08:00

Hey! Hey! Hope your December is peaceful and you are able to stop and take in the many Joys of the Lord this Christmas season! I am sure the Christmas cards are starting to roll in and pile up on those counters. Today I want to share a simple Christmas Card Solution I created. I used twine, ornaments, mini stockings, and all the cards people send us. Check out the video below...

Christmas Cards are one of the precious joys in the Christmas season! Especially the ones with pictures! Love the simplicity of a card, love that it is not overspending, yet it blesses others and

expresses the true meaning of Christmas!

If you are interested I picked up the stockings at in the dollar bin at Target (that's my spot lately) :) and also picked up the bling, mini, red ornaments which I love! Hope you enjoy!

Don't forget to check out the giveaway I am doing Here! Have a blessed day, and enjoy today!
Blessings,
Jewels
Linking to:Delightful Order
Plate is Full
Taking Time Out Thursday
Show off your Stuff
Around the Table
Strut your stuff

Guest Posting at Delightful Creations

2011-12-04T23:20:00.001-08:00

Happy Monday Ya'll!!!

First I want to thank all of you who commented on my last post and gave me your feedback on the blog! I read and value each of our thoughts! If you don't know what I am referring to feel free to read my last post and comment.
I am so excited to be GUEST POSTING a pillow tutorial on my dear friend and crafty sista Eva at Delightful Creations blog. You got to come check out her blog and the pillow tutorial! Click on her button below. Thanks Eva!

Blessings and thanks for stopping by!

I need YOUR opinion

2011-12-03T15:09:00.001-08:00

Hi there! I wanted to get your opinion on what you as my readers would like. I am planning on taking the blog in the direction of sharing more crafts, scrapbooking, recipes, tutorials and other "crafty type" things. I desire to still share my life and the lessons I learn, but was thinking of posting less about family and everyday events and focusing more on crafts and life in general. I can do one of two things... I can start a new blog that focuses on crafts/etc. and keep this one for our family.... or keep it all here. Which do you prefer? What do you enjoy about coming here? Please leave me a comment; even if you don't normally comment and let me know. I so value and appreciate all of you who follow the blog and want your opinion.

I will continue praying about this decision and with your wisdom see where the Lord leads me in this next adventure.

Thank you for your thoughts; I truly value them!

Advent Inspiration

2011-12-02T13:47:00.001-08:00

Happy Friday! Don't you love Fridays? Oh, I do! They mean more time with family and it always gives me the motivation to do something fun! Here is what I did!

So After seeing my sweet and creative friend Tanya's Advent Calendar it inspired me to create this. I just love banners, and this was fun and easy! I started by digging through a past scrapbooking kit from Personal Scrapper, grabbed some papers and was off. I loved the polka dot one so I found papers that had the same color scheme and laid them across my kitchen table. Then I measured my fire place mantel from one end to the other, which was about 63, and divided that by 25. With my measurements I knew that I could make each piece 2 to 2.5 inches and that is what I did and cut the triangle at the bottom for effect. Just like my girl "T."

With all 25 spread across my table I cut the twine the length of the fire place mantel and placed a thin line of glue on #1 first and then slowly made my way down the twine: glue, twine, glue, twine...

On the back we placed the activities we will do each day. Or if you don't want to plan ahead too much you can do a couple at a time. I adhered the 3x5 card with a small piece of scotch tape so we could remove on each day. If you want some great ideas for activities you can check out Little Joyful Moments or Tanya's post.

And here is what it looked like all finished on the fire place.

Have a blessed Friday and may the JOY of Christmas bless you and your family!

Linking to:

Friend Feature: Advent Calendar

2011-12-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Thursday! Hope you all are having a great weekend! I am so glad you stopped in today! Thank you for coming! I wanted to share this amazing Advent Cali from my amazing friend Tanya. She does not yet have a blog, but she should! Tanya and I played college soccer together and have so many great memories! While we miss our soccer days, we now share the love of being a creative wife and mommy. She is a wonderful woman, and I cherish her! So check out this adorable Advent Cali.

Here is how she said she did it:

I got some scrapbook paper in red and green and some Christmas themed paper too. I cut strips that are 2 incles wide and various lengths. I cut the bottoms of the strips at an angle for visual appeal :). I randomly organized the paper strips. I put numbered stickers on each one for the day of December it correspondes too. I just wrote on the back what we were doing each day. I have 2 girls so my activities are geared for girl things...sorry for all the moms with boys. But most of them are things you can do with either. Some of my activities correlate with my 25 Random Acts of Christmas Kindess @ Little Joyful Moments Happy December!!!

1. camp in tents(aaron is making) inside
2. Christmas craft (TBD)
3. Sleep in Izzie's bed together(one of their favorite things)
4. Movie night
5. Hot cocoa with specil new mugs that I will wrap so they can open
6. Gingerbread house
7. write a letter to santa(we let the girls believe Santa only fills thier stockings)
8. Wrap presents
9. Camp out in the living room with mom and dad
10. Scavenger hunt for a small gift
11. Polar Epress Party
12. Go get hot cocoa at Starbucks
13. Family Game night
14. Go get thier nails done at the salon
15. Paint snow(if we have any)
16. make and decorate cookies
17.make rice krispie treats
18.take cookies and treats to our nieghbors
19. Christmas craft(TBD)
20. Go look at Christmas lights
21. Breakfast in bed
22. Backwards dinner
23. Make Jesus a birthday cake and send him a balloon(we have to do this early because we are leaving for Indiana this day)
24. open one present
25. Open gifts

What a great idea Tanya had! Thanks for sharing girl! You bring us great joy! Oh, and you can add the Price Famil Pajama Jam Run to your Advent too!

linking to
Delightful Order
Taking Time Out Thursday
Show off your Stuff

Pajama Jammy Jam Runs

2011-11-30T00:00:00.000-08:00

Pajama Jammy Jam Runs are a tradition we started when our oldest was about 2 years old. I went to a woman's conference one year and one of the ladies who spoke gave a idea similar to this. We took her fabulous idea and made it our own. This is so much fun for the kids and for us! It would be a great thing to add to your holiday schedule! It will bring you great JOY! Here is what we do...

* Lay the kids down early in their Pajamas of course, for us is about 7pm (our kids are young, but you can do the same with older kids too just adjust times to work with our schedule).
* About 7:15 or 7:30 go in the room, wake them up, and say, "Pajama Jammy Jam Run." Well that is at least what we say. We have a little song and dance around the room and they scream and get all excited! It's great! Can you see the Joy on the older kids face above?
* We load everyone in the car in their Pajamas and go for a quick and fun adventure. Here are a few things you can do, but the opportunities are endless...
* Let the kids pick where they want to go * Go get Hot Chocolate * Take them to pick out a toy
* Take a drive and play some driving games *Frozen Yogurt *late night read at library
* Late night snack * Drive in movie *Doughnuts * Visit a friend/family

You have got to do this with your kidos! They will love it and so will you! Let me know if you try it and how you liked it. I would love to hear any new ideas for Pajama Runs too! May the gift of raising your children bless you, and may each moment be a true JOY. Blessings,

What I made Wednesday
Whatever goes Wednesday

Collection

2011-11-28T00:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday to you all! Hope you all had a blessed thanksgiving and weekend and are doing well!

Do you collect anything? I am not a collector; well, except craft supplies if you count that :). HOwever there was a collection I had from a young age that I needed to do something with. So, I wanted to share this recent solution to my pin collection. My parents took us cross country twice while growing up. It was an experience of a life time, and I truly have so many wonderful memories of each state and place we ventured together. On the first trip my Mom started a pin collection for us. When Tu and I got married we continued collecting pins from the adventures of our love and life. It has been so fun to look at these and reminisce about the great times we have experienced! For years I had placed all these pins on a towel just to keep from loosing them.

A few months ago the Lord gave me this cool idea. Check it out below....

~BEFORE~

~Here are the basics of what you will need~

*Paint *Canvas * Letters *glue gun

* Ribbon * Flowers * *Sponge brush

~Paint the Canvas and let dry~

~Glue the Letters on with glue gun~

~Add the ribbon and flowers~

~ I chose to add two pins to the center of the flowers for fun~

~Glue ribbons to the bottom for pins that are larger and hang somewhere you can enjoy viewing it~

~our kids love looking at all the pins and asking about places we have been~

~and there is room for more adventures to come~

~After~

So what do you think? Better then a towel for sure, right? lol! I would love to hear what you collect! Hope you enjoyed this~ Blessings to you all~

Link to:
Made with Love Mondays
Craft O Manic Mondays
Crafty Catwalk
Made By You Mondays
Raising Homemakers
Delightful Order
Taking Time Out Thursday
Show off your Stuff

Black Friday and a GiveAway.

2011-11-27T09:12:00.001-08:00

Happy Sunday to you! Thanks for stoppin by today! I hope and pray your Thanksgiving was as blessed as possible! We had an amazing time with family and friends! Today I wanted to share two things with you. First, a little of the fun I had on Black Friday, and a giveaway at my crafty friend Eva's blog. Click the link below to view her giveaway!

Here is the give away! Go check it out on her blog!

Black Friday fun! I did a last minute run out for Black Friday! I was so blessed to get some girl time. My favorite display at the mall was at the Gap for kids store! Got to love this JOY display! We found some great deals too. Jeans for $7.00, Disney kitchen set for $16.00, "Car's cargo plane and car $15.00, Disney Jammies $10.00. What a blessing. It was worth the crowd and we had so much fun!

Eva, Sara, Me, My amazing and beautiful Mommy!

Blessings to you all! Tell me about your finds on Black Friday

Mommy Tip: Plating

2011-11-26T04:00:00.000-08:00

Hello today! I hope your day is filled with much Joy! I wanted to share a quick tip the Lord gave me while in the kitchen one day. Many of you who have more then one child know that each child is so different, beautifully and uniquely designed by the Lord. That is what makes them so fun and special! Therefore they have different likes and dislikes.

Well when it comes to prepping multiple plates at meals that can be tricky at times. Not mixing up the plates and such. For instance Tre loves lots of Almond Butter, while Aaliyah only likes a little, and Jaylin has Hummus in between her bread since babies aren't suppose to have nuts just yet. So to make sure I don't mix them up I cut them different because on the outside they look all the same. For Tre, our oldest I slice in half (half moons or crescent), Aaliyah's are thirds (triangles), and Jaylin's are in fourths (small triangles). It works and you can teach shapes at the same time!

Jaylin's plate is 4 small triangles (Bread and Hummus) and peas mixed with a small amount of Hummus.

Hope this brings some Mommy Joy to you today.

Thankful for Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T15:50:00.001-08:00

Give Thanks to HIM

and Praise His Name!

Psalm 100:4

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

I am so blessed today reflecting upon the many blessings of the Lord! He is so good! I wanted to share today a list of my things I am praising and Thanking the Lord for today!

I am thankful for...
the word of God and how He speaks through it
for my amazing husband that has endured so much in the last three years and still finds his conference in Jesus
For the adorable and joy filled children He has given us
For amazing and loving family and friends
For health and daily living
For moving and all that the Lord has taught us through it Friends that Love Jesus and challenge me in my walk with the Lord
Pictures, oh how I love pictures for the memories and legacey they leave
For our church and the way the Lord has challenged us this year
For the little voices of my kids hearing them sign and resite God's word
For my parents and their model of Jesus
For my in-laws and their love for our kids and for us Airplains; being able to visit family without having to drive FOREVER
For blogging and all the sweet people I have met and learned from
The ability to move, see, taste, touch and live

I am praising Him for:
His grace
His goodness
Him hearing my heart
Him listening to my cries
His voice
His arms of love
His provision
His spirit
His love
His gentleness
His kindness
His wisdom
His protection
Him being all knowing
Him giving victory
Him breaking bondage
Him restoring marriages and lives
Him giving discipline and self control
Being the Prince of Peace
The almighty
The everlasting
He truly deserves all glory honor and praise both today and always.

~ Tre's Thankful Drawing (4yrs)~

~Aaliyah's Thankful Drawing (3yrs)~

~Jaylin's Thankful Drawing (1yr)~

May you be full of His Joy as you Praise Him today!

Love in Jesus,

Add some Brussels Sprouts

2011-11-23T08:58:00.001-08:00

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

2 Corinthians 9:15

Hi all! Are you all ready for thanksgiving? I wanted to share a quick recipe that you may want to add to your Thanksgiving dinner. Brussels Sprouts are a great change to green beens, broccoli, or just add them to the menu as a green, healthy, and yummy bite. May the Lord bless your Thanksgiving!

~Wash Brussel Sprouts~

~boil water and add sprouts for 2 to 3 minutes~

~remove from heat and rinse with cool water to stop cooking~

~Cut ends off~

~Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, and garlic salt~

~Place on baking sheet and place in broiler for 5 mins, remove and serve~

May you enjoy the many gifts given to us from our Lord this thanksgiving!

linking to: What I made Wednesday

Butternut Squash Soup

2011-11-20T23:28:00.001-08:00

Happy Monday to you all! It's almost thanksgiving; can you believe it? Yeah! I am so excited and want to include three things I am thankful for today before I get into my "Make it Monday" post.

1. Weekends! I am thankful the Lord has given us the weekends to enjoy time with family and friends!

2. Free sermon downloads: They are such a blessing when kids are sick and you can't make it to church you still can get fed God's word at home!

3. My husbands! His perseverance in school is inspiring!

~Onto Making Monday's~

For those of you who may not know, I have a love for a good soup and salad. My recent favorite is Butternut Squash Soup. My hubby took the kids and I to this yummy bakery cafe near us for our girl's 3rd birthday and you want to know what I ordered for breakfast? Yep! Butternut Squash Soup! And I loved every minute of it! Yum! Yum! Yum!

Last year I had my first attempt at trying this yummy soup from scratch. And this year I altered the recipe a bit. I wanted to share it with you! It's a perfect thanksgiving treat! Hope you enjoy! Ingredients listed at the bottom.

~Cut the Squash in half and remove the seeds~

~Place Squash "inside" down on a baking sheet with 1/4 to 1/2 inch of water~

~Roast on open fire or bbq 1/2 Red Pepper~

~Saute 1/2 cup of onions in dab of Olive Oil~

~Blend the ingredient in a blender and add to large pan~

~Serve and enjoy~

Ingredient:
2 Butternut Squash
1 cup chopped onions
2 cups Chicken Broth
1/2 cup Almond Milk (you can use whatever kind of Milk you prefer)
1/2 Fire Roasted Red Pepper
2 tablespoons Cream Cheese
1 tablespoon Sour Cream
1/2 teaspoon Nut Meg
Salt and Pepper to taste

Bake squash in oven at 375 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes until soft.
Combine in pan milk, broth, and turn on low.
Combine sautéed onions, Red Peppers, Squash, sour cream, cream cheese and 1/4 cup water in blender to mix. The consistency should be think.
Pour blender mix into broth mix and cook until heated through. Add spices and serve.

May you be filled with the joy of the Lord as you celebrate all that you have to be thankful for!

Linking to:
Mouthwatering Monday
Made with Love Mondays
Craftomaniac Mondays

Flowers for Friends

2011-11-20T04:00:00.000-08:00

It was one of my dearest friend, Kollene's birthday. This woman is amazing! She is a God given mentor and friend and I wanted to brighten her day with a little love. She loves yellow; therefore yellow it is!
It can be a gift idea or just a way to bring joy to someone's day.

~Empty Vase~

~Add a Ribbon and flower together with the glue gun~

~Add a button; I love me some buttons~

May you spread His Joy today!

Linking To:

Turkey for Breakfast

2011-11-17T01:00:00.000-08:00

Who says you can't have Turkey for breakfast? LOL!

Are you ready for Thanksgiving? I am! I love thanksgiving and can't wait to spend time eatin me some turkey and thanking God for all I have. I was so thankful for the sweet moment in the kitchen today with my kidos creating this cute little Turkey. They were squealing with excitement!

This cute little guy, made of eggs, cheese, bread, apples, and two raisins, will bring the joy of Thanksgiving into your home. The kids and I created this Turkey this morning in the kitchen! We had soooooo much fun making these! This would be a fun Thanksgiving Morning breakfast. Enjoy!

~ We used Sandwich Thins for the body~ You can also use a bagel

~Scramble eggs to add texture~

~Raisins for the eyes~

~Cheese for the nose and feet~ Cut one triangle for the nose and two long rectangles for the legs, and two small rectangles for the feet.

~Slice apples for the feathers~

There you have it; Turkey for Breakfast

Turkey for breakfast? YEP! Now that's fun and delicious! Spend some time enjoying those little moments with your kidos that will fill your heart with thanks! Hope this cute little Turkey brings some joy to you, your family, and your Thanksgiving!
Blessings,

Linking to:
Full Plate Thursdays
Between you and me
Around my Table
Somewhat Simple
Show off your Stuff
Crafty Scrappy Happy
Transformed Thursdays
Show and tell
Made with Love Mondays

#1 Mimi

2011-11-16T04:00:00.000-08:00

Nothing like our Mimi! She loves her some grand babies and Jaylin was no exception. Oh, and I can't forget to add they all love her so. Mimi is so fun and shows such love. We love our Mimi and Thank the Lord for her sweetness; she is so special to us!

May the Joy of the Lord be your strength today!

Linkin to:

Whatever Goes Wednesday

Pumpkin Cream Cheese

2011-11-15T09:54:00.001-08:00

Hey All! Hope your Tuesday is going well and your enjoying the Fall and the coming of THANKSGIVING! I wanted to share a yummy recipe that I created this week to add to your Thanksgiving meal. It's delicious and quick!

PUMPKIN CREAM CHEESE! Spread this over your pumpkin bread, toast, muffin, or whatever you want.

Hope this brings some joy to your day, month, and your Thanksgiving!

~Here are the things you will need~

~Cream Cheese~

~Spices: Cinnamon, REAL Vanilla, Nutmeg

INGREDIENTS:

8 ounces Cream Cheese
4 tablespoon (heaping) Pumpkin
½ Tsp Real Vanilla (I'm a stickler about "REAL" Vanilla)
½ Tsp Cinnamon
½ Tsp Nutmeg
¼ cup Brown Sugar, to start (add more to taste if you want it sweeter)

Directions:

Add ingredients together and mix with electric mixer until blended and creamy.

Sprinkle with Cinnamon.

~Final Product~

May the blessings of life bring you Joy today! You can check out my "Eats N Treats" Label (in the side bar) for more of my treat talk.

Linking to:
Totally Tasty Tuesdays
Tuesday at the Table
Tempt my Tummy Tuesdays

Calendar for Christmas

2011-11-14T05:00:00.000-08:00

Here is a quick and simple tutorial on how to make a regular calendar into a snazzy little gift for Christmas. This would be great for people at the office, teachers, families, or anyone who likes to be organized!

These fun little Calendars I found in the dollar section at target, and I plan to go back for some more! Such a fun gift! Who doesn't need a calendar. Right?

Just choose some cute ribbon to go over the top of the calendar and glue it down. I used my glue gun.

Add some fun and bright buttons.

~ Cut a small piece of ribbon and fold over~

add a button, with glue, or sew it on, then glue it to the corners for a little spice

There you have it! A sweet and simple little sugary gift for Christmas! Sure to bring some joy!

Hope this brought a little Joy to you today!

Linkin up:
Making Monday's Marvelous
CraftOManic Mondays
Crafty Catwalk
Making the World Cuter
Just something I whipped up
Homemade Tuesdays

Give Away

2011-11-13T21:00:00.000-08:00

Check out this great give away fro Katelyn! What a sweet offer!

Lord Change Me

2011-11-13T20:58:00.001-08:00

Sin will have NO dominion over you, since you are not under law, but under Grace! Romans 6:14

About a year ago I prayed that the Lord would reveal to me areas in my heart and life that I needed to change. WOW! Did He ever begin to gently open my eyes. He has taught me so much this year through His word, fellow believers, my children, my Husband, friends, and family. He has shown me the depth of my heart in ways I was unsure about at first. He is gently leading and guiding me to surrender, to freedom, and to change. Lately He has allowed me to be challenged, glean, and be encouraged through a series.

I have been listening to a series called "Lord Change Me" from Pastor James(we attended his church in college) and love listening when we can. It is amazing to me how the Lord is revealing uncovered areas that I need to change. Habits I have formed over time, attitudes I default to, and thoughts that trap me. These are a few of the strongholds I am praying through and asking Him to change me! I so want to be the woman He calls and will equip me to be! I am sick of letting satan win and I am approaching this new year with lots of prayer and commitment to change patterns that lead to defeat. I will be victorious in Christ! He says, "SIN WILL HAVE NO dominion over me!" I love it and I am clinging to it!

What patterns or areas might He want to change in you? Ask Him! He will show you and give you the POWER to change! He is good, powerful, loving, caring, and MIGHTY! Make some time to listen to this message this week! You won't regret it!
Blessings friends,

Gingerbread Treats

2011-11-13T10:11:00.001-08:00

Have you had these? They are so yummy with a nice cold glass of milk. These are mini Gingerbread cookies from Trader Joe's. My hubby loves them so it was just a little way to say, "I was thinking of you."

The Lord has been gently reminding me not to forget to do "little things" for my hubby, just like I do for my friends and kids. That could be a box of his favorite seasonal treats, drop him off a hot starbucks at work, put his shoes away, leaving notes or verses for him, or texting him a quick "I love you."

Often I pray the Lord will show me when and how to encourage my man so he knows he is loved and treasured. I am not perfect, believe me, there are times I fail miserably at this, but God is teaching me to listen and heed HIS prompting. God continues to teach me the importance of being INTENTIONAL and how important it is for our marriage and my heart toward my husband. God is good and want's to bless our marriages! May the Joy of Jesus bless your marriage today! Send your hubby (or family/friend if your not married) a little reminder they are loved today! I would love to hear your creative ways of of sharing His Joy!

Sweet and Simple: Date Night

2011-11-12T05:00:00.000-08:00

Date nights are so important for our marriages! One on One, uninterrupted time is precious and takes us being intentional.

Recently the Lord has allowed a word to reoccurs in my mind through scripture, sermons, and friends "Intentional." He is showing me that I need to, and have to be intentional, as does my hubby, to make time to make meaningful and lasting moments together to connect. Even if the budget is thin planing a trip to get yogurt, coffee, or a doughnut to share will allow some great one on one time that will enrich your marriage and your life.

This is a yogurt date night Tu and I recently had. We shared a "Pink Berry" and some sweet convo. It great way to stay connected. We had a great time, it did not cost us much, and it was sweet, and simple!

Tell me about what you like to do on your date nights.
Be blessed in Him

Is Blogging a Waste of Time?

2011-11-11T05:00:00.000-08:00

YEAH! It's Friday! Praise JESUS! Do you ever have this question come to mind..."Is blogging a waste of time?" This is something I have wrestled over and I came across this amazing post, so full of wisdom and great motive check for blogging. Really, you have got to read this amazing post from Gina at Keepin it Real. I pray it blesses and challenges you as it did me!
Have a blessed weekend in HIM!

World's Greatest

2011-11-10T05:02:00.000-08:00

Watching Grandparents love on their grandkids is one of the world's greatest feelings. One of the great joy's of having children is watching them love on their grandparents and their grandparents on them.

Sweet Giggles

2011-11-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

Sweet Giggles. You all know how sweet the sound of a baby's giggle is, right! It's precious and sweet and so is our girl! Hope you enjoy the layouts. These are a set of a two page layout I did for Jaylin's 2 month pictures.

Taking Joy in the giggles! Appreciate the Joy of laughter today!

A Word to Wives

2011-11-08T21:11:00.000-08:00

Oh how wonderful Marriage can be. Oh how crazy marriage can be when you add kids, responsibility, and the demands of this life. Oh, how important it is to take the time to stop and invest in, love on, and care for our marriages! I was reminded of this today.

I wanted to share this great reminder about Loving our husbands I came across on my sista Cathy's blog. What a great reminder. Hope you are challenged and inspired!

"Are you in love with your husband? Not, Do you love him? I know you do. He has been around a long time, and you’re used to him. He is the father of your children.

But are you in love with him?

How long has it been since your heart really squeezed when you looked at him?

... Why is it you have forgotten the things that attracted you to him at ﬁrst?

... By the grace of God, I want you to start changing your thought pattern.

Tomorrow morning, get your eyes off the toaster or the baby bottles long enough to LOOK at him. Don’t you see the way his coat ﬁts his shoulders? Look at his hands. Do you remember when just to look at his strong hands made your heart lift? Well LOOK at him and remember.

Then loose your tongue and tell him you love him.

Will you ask the Lord to give you a sentimental, romantic, physical, in-love kind of love for your husband? He will do this.

His love in us can change the actual physical quality of our love for our husbands." By Shirley Rice

Take Joy in the Man God has given to you!

Daddy's HOME

2011-11-08T15:39:00.000-08:00

Hope your all having a great day! Yesterday was such a sweet time for us. Daddy is home after 4 long days of travel and study for him he is back with us. For those who may not know this hard working man is pursuing his doctorate degree in Educational Administration. It has been a long and sacrificing road for us all, but especially him. He just finished his last residency and we were all so very proud of him. God is good and gave him favor and wisdom while he presented and finalized his dissertation project. We look forward to his graduation and welcome your prayers as we encourage him to the finish line. It's so great to have him back!

Such Joy to be a family~ Ww missed you Daddy and are so proud of you!

Take joy in your family today,

Pumpkin Bread Dessert

2011-11-07T04:34:00.000-08:00

Hi! Hi! Hope you all had a great weekend! Well we just had our first officially cold weekend of the "Fall." I am excited for all the fall treats that make the coming of winter so yummy and warm! This is a delicious and EASY pumpkin bread dessert that is sure to set the mood for a sweet and fun fall night. You have GOT to try it! Here is a quick little recap on what I did. It's so easy the kids can join in too!

This Yummy Goodness is Pumkin Bread, with Chocolate Chips, pumkin cream cheese spread, and vanilla ice cream. Oh, wow! Can you say YUM?

Okay so the Pumpkin Bread is from a box from Trader Joe's and I do have a few "Tips" that I have tried that make it yummy! Did I mention this is yummy yet? LOL!
1. Use Olive Oil instead of Vegtable oil (it's healthier and it makes it more moist)
2. Add a few chocolate chips to the mix
AND...

some Pumpkin cream cheese spread over the top

Really it's delicious! Hope you try it and hope it brings a little joy!
Blessings

Birthday Princess

2011-11-06T23:42:00.000-08:00

Oh, wow! Having a girl can be so much fun! I had to share this video and picture of A's Princess Dress, shoes, and accessories that she picked out at the store from her Mimi and Pa Pa. She was so excited! She has wanted to where the Princess shoes all the time. Thanks Mimi and Pa Pa. The cutes part of it all is that Tre plays along as "Prince Tre"who will protect her. It's simply adorable!

I pray they continue to have a tight bond to be willing to protect and love each other always. It's our job to teach and pray these little daughters and son's of the king act as the royalty they are in Christ! Not lording it over anyone, but proud to be heir of such a magnificent King! He is worthy! You can see glimpses of him in these sweet moments! Now that brings some JOY does it not! Hope you all enjoy! Thanks again Mimi and Pa Pa she loves her new dress up clothes.

Hope you enjoy these pics and quick videos.

Hello Kitty

2011-11-06T05:41:00.000-08:00

Another year has quickly gone by for our sweet little Princess, Daughter of the King of Kings! We had such a fun couple of days celebrating her precious life! Recently she has taken a liking to Hello Kitty! So when I took her to pick out her "party" stuff that is what she wanted. So Hello Kitty it was!

Because Tu and I decided early that we would throw the kids "bigger" parties for more of the milestone birthdays such as 1, 5, 10, 13, etc. we were just having a small and intimate, birthday for our sweet girl who was turning 3. Which we LOVE! It's so fun to take in EVERY moment and squeal of excitement.

Here are a few pictures from the events! She has SOOOOO much fun and so did we.

In the Morning when our little Sis woke she came out to a new bike and a few gifts. We let her unwrap and then we did our traditional Birthday out Breakfast.

We took her to Chuck E Cheese to play a few games and then home for some cup cakes and singing! She was showered with love from many of you our dear family and friends and we were so blessed! The sweetest was her little friends who called and sang her Happy Birthday song in their adorable little voices! So sweet!

Sis got to choose her own breakfast, notice the lack of color, lol. But she loved it and we had fun!

Her Dad Brown and Nana showered her with more birthday love with a visit, gifts, and another visit to Chuck E Cheese. REally! What a birthday this little one had!
Thank you Lord!

She was richly blessed! bleblessed!

What JOY this little life brings to us all! Truly just having her is better then any birthday gift one can buy! WE praise Jesus for her life and are blessed by all the LOVE! Thank you all! Hope you all have a blessed day! Share the Joy of the Lord with someone today!

Sweet and Simple Saturday: Fun little Plates

2011-11-05T05:00:00.000-07:00

Good Morning! Happy Saturday! Hope all is well with you! Thanks for stoppin by today! So this Saturday I wanted to share this sweet little plate. I am sure all of you have seen, and some probably have these types of plates if you have kidos.

However, I was not a fan at first, because I am kinda anal about not placing hot food on plastic products because of the chemicals that are released into the food from the heat. HOWEVER, the kids LOVE these plates and it brings such joy to them. So, I have resolved to buy them, mostly in the dollar section at Target, and I use them for "non hot foods." They are simple, but bring some added joy to the kids and to our meals. Sometimes it's the simple things that bring joy!
Thanks for stoppin by!

Her 3rd!

2011-11-02T01:28:00.000-07:00

Can it be true? Our little girl is turning 3! Aaliyah has been such a sweet joy to us all! She was a happy baby, and full of spunk, energy, and bounce from the start! This has been a year full of fun with this precious gift! We are so thankful for her life and praise the Lord for each day He gives us with her. She truly brings great joy to our lives! Here are a few picture spread throughout her 3 years of life!

Aaliyah at 3

Aaliyah you are a bundle of joy and love. To say you love to JUMP, RUN, BOUNCE, SING, and DANCE is an understatement. You make your dad and I laugh so much because everywhere you go you have some type of little pop in your step. It's so fun to watch, although at times it has led you to some ouchies. Watching you change this year has been so fun. Not only did you grow at least an inch and a half, but your smart and don't miss anything. There is a little sass in you from time to time, but you have a sweet spirit and a joy for life!

Your favorites include: Pink, Princess, Minnie Mouse, Hello Kitty, Penguins, purses, small writing pads, coloring or crafts of any sort, stickers, your pink little bible, jammies (you would wear them everyday all day), your friends, airplanes, juice, ANY type of berry, you love them! I asked you what you wanted for your birthday dinner and you said, "Ummm How about Strawberries and blueberries" So cute!

You love spending time with your brother, Tre and cuddle up next to him during movie time or a reading a book. Your favorite shows are Dora, Diego, Dinasor Train, Word World, and your recent 1st movie "Happy Feet" (not ironic at all) and Lion King! You and Tre will play outside together in the sandbox and you love to pretend your exploring in the back yard. You love your brother tons, but you have learned this year not to back down to him when you want something. However you are friends! And if anyone asks either of you who your best friend is you usually reply, Tre Tre. I pray you continue to grow as friends.

Jaylin is your little Sis and you are precious to her for the most part. You often rub her head or cheeks and tell her you love her. She loves you and trys to follow your lead. Which can be a little scary at times! You two will have such a close friendship when your older I pray!

You and your daddy have a special bond and you love when you get time with him. You always cry for him when your in trouble with mommy :)

You and I, well we might just be two peas in a pod as many tell us. I love every minute with you and the smiles you bring through your spunky, fun, loving self melt me! I treasure our times of reading together, dates nights, pajama runs, library trips, when you grab my cheeks and tell me you love me, butterfly, bunny, and froggy kisses, prayers before bed, hearing you pray, hearing you memorize scripture, watching you learn to share, teaching you to potty, naps together, reading books together, cooking and crafting with you and Tre, and just hearing you talk. You have the cutest little voice. I love all my moments with you my sweet girl! I pray that you will grow to use all your gifts and tallents for JESUS! Your a daugher of the King JESUS! Forever Cherished and Forever LOVED! We love you Aaliyah! Happy 3rd Birthday!

Family Values

2011-10-31T04:49:00.000-07:00

Hello all! Thanks for stopping in! It's Monday! I hope your week is blessed and full of JOY! I wanted to share something I made with you all! Below is my first attempt at a Family Values Canvas. A few years back we were listening to the pastor who's church we attended while in college. If your interested you can here him each Sunday HERE. Anyway, he did two different wonderful and awesome series on Family that are worth buying called Family Revival: God's Wisdom at My House and Family Matters. In these series and in others he as taught he talks about the importance of having FAMILY VALUES for our family and posting/displaying them in our homes as a reminder and encouragement as we strive to raise our family in the ways of the LORD.

He shares how many different organizations have mottos and values for the way they desire their organization to function and succeed. Same should be true for our family. We should take the time to discuss, pray, and construct a set of family values which assist and encourage our family to function and succeed in Christ. When I first hear this it was so enlightening. It was such a wonderful challenge and we took it to heart.

Tu and I sat down and discussed what our Family Values were and are. We also discussed what principles we wanted to focus on and use to live out this beautiful gift we call life. It is our desire to obey God, Love God, and Love His people so that HE receives the glory!

We decided to have a theme verse (basically a verse we want to pray over and commit to for our family) and our PRICE FAMILY VALUES together. Here is a look at the final project... It is displayed in our kitchen so we often see it.

I pray that you are blessed and challenged to take the time to create some FAMILY VALUES of your own too! I would love to see or hear about yours! May the Lord bless you and keep you, may His face shine upon you and may He be gracious to you. This is my prayer for you and your family today!
Blessings friends,

Some More Scrappin

2011-10-29T12:48:00.000-07:00

Happy Weekend to you all! Hope all is well! Wanted to share a few more scrappy layouts. This is our little Jaylin at 11 months and 3 months. It is so much fun to scrap the kids and watch them grow. Everyone always says to enjoy these moments! I feel like I am trying to take them all in as much as possible and yet they are still slipping way so quickly. Isn't life such a gift! Thank you Lord!

Enjoy your life and your loved ones today!

The first two layouts are a double pager of her at 11 months and the last is a single page layout I did for her 3 month shot. Blessings!

Sweet and Simple Saturday: Glue Gun

2011-10-29T04:04:00.000-07:00

Hi there! I had to share my sweet little fine. I was at Michael's the other day and came across this...

It was so cute I couldn't pass it up! So it's my new favorite tool and just makes the simple things sassy and fun! Thanks for stoppin by!

Fat Fridays

2011-10-28T12:37:00.000-07:00

FAT stands for Faithful, Available, and Teachable. So on Fridays, or whenever I feel led, I will try to share something about how the Lord is teaching me to stay FAT. Spiritually speaking of course :)! Because I know no woman in her right mind wants to be fat physically, right? But this is life, as hard as it is to fight, is not about the outward, but the inward! It's about FATTENING up our heart and souls for Him so that we are the most effective we can be for our LORD. Come along and get FAT in Him with me! I would love to hear what the Lord is teaching you!

Today: Tell me what you do to stay FAT in Him? What is one way you stay faithful, available, or teachable?

Me: Well lately it would have to be seeking wisdom and counsel from others. Trying to be teachable in an area I don't really want to bend in. I will share more soon, but not just going with what I want, but asking others their godly advice and waiting on the LORD for an answer. HARD for sure! :)

Blessings to you all! Have a blessed weekend!

Layouts catch up 1

2011-10-27T04:05:00.000-07:00

Hi There! Pray your day is blessed!

I have done a few layout and will share a few today. These are two that I added to Jaylin's baby book which I displayed at her first birthday. It was so fun doing these layouts because they are similar to Aaliyah's; you can see hers below. I wanted to make them similar because the shots were so similar.

Have a blessed day!

Check these out!

2011-10-26T14:45:00.000-07:00

Hi all! I am so excited to share these great sites I found through my sweet friend Tanya and browsing. If you are looking to homeschool or just add some reinforcement or fun to your child's life they have endless resources. Check out these sites. These women are gifted and generous to share with others! Blessings to you all!

Have a great day!

What's Up Wednesday: She's a big girl!

2011-10-26T04:06:00.000-07:00

Hey there! Wanted to share a bitter sweet moment for me today. Jaylin, our baby, is now 14 months and is now weened, and is enjoying her big girl seat in the car. Officially on her way out of babyhood and is approaching fast toddlerhood. What a bitter sweet time. She looks so little in the seat, but she was overflowing her bucket seat so we decided to make the switch. WOW! Time really does fly! That saying is so annoying, but yet so true. As for Jaylin, I think her favorite part is seeing what her big brother and sister are doing, or eating :). I also included a pictures of all three. This is a glimpse of what I see when I turn around in the car! Enjoy your day and treasure those little moments God gives us in life! He is good!

Blessings to you all!

Make it Monday: Picture Cards

2011-10-24T05:00:00.000-07:00

Hi there! Hope your day is going well!

SO for this "Make it Monday" I wanted to take a quick minute to share a idea for Card Making. First, let me ask, don't you just love cards? I can share countless times when I have received a card that brought so much joy and love to my day. Cards have a special way of making others feel loved.

With that said here are some of my card ideas...

If your like me, or know someone like me, you (they) are always taking pictures at events. I am the one that is pulling out the camera and photographing any and everything I can. Well all those pictures can be put to use in several ways. Making thank you cards for birthday's, christmas, or a note to say hi to a friend can be that much more special and festive with a picture added. Here is a quick look at a few I created after a birthday dinner with my special Hays family friends! We had so much fun at the birthday and the pictures made the thank you cards so much fun.

Three cute little Pumpkins

2011-10-22T08:00:00.000-07:00

Don't you love the fall? We do! What a great time to celebrate and be thankful for all God has given and done in our lives! We are so blessed and praise the Lord for all He is!
So we went to a pumpkin patch together to celebrate the FALL! We had so much fun! Check out the huge pile of pumpkins behind us! This patch was fun with Pony Rides, Corn Mazes, Train rides, Pumpkins, beautiful flowers, roasted yummy corn, icys, three giant pumpkins, and fun, fun, fun!

The kids loved it and so did we!

Sweet and Simple Saturday: Carne Salad

2011-10-22T04:00:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't know I am a huge salad fan! I love salads! But with that I am kind of a salad snob too! But I hope not in a snotty way, but in a good way! :) Is that possible! :) I would rather not eat them if they are not going to do my body any good. I want my salads to be colorful, fresh, and healthy. And I have to share this salad that meets those criteria perfectly! Enjoy!

So this is a sweet, simple, and yummy salad. Basically I took the Carne Asada from our taco left overs, cut it into chunks, added sliced grape tomatoes, cilantro, diced cucumbers, a little onions, and Monterey Jack cheese. Oh and I can't forget to tell you to squeeze a fresh lime over the top add salt and pepper if needed. I added a little hot sauce to mine and a dash of sour cream! It was fantastic! Yum! Next time you have Carne Asada save some for lunch the next day. Or make it just for this salad and take it to a party! It's making my mouth water writing about it! Hope you enjoy!

Linking up to Full Plate Thursdays

Are you a Daniel or a Nebuchadnezzar?

2011-10-21T04:00:00.000-07:00

So I was reading in Daniel chapter 2 this morning. It is amazing to me how God's word truly is living and powerful! Each time I read a book God speaks to me in different ways. It's amazing... He is amazing! I encourage you to read through Daniel chapter 2. While your reading pray for God to reveal what type of leader are you? Are you a Nebuchadnezzar or a Daniel.

So many are familiar with the story of King Nebuchadnezzar having a dream and wanting the wise men of Babylon to interpret for him. God reveals the vision to Daniel and God is glorified.

However, here are a few things the Lord revealed to me as I read through chapter two this time. Through this chapter there are actions modeled for us that are both wise and unwise. Let's take a look...

Vs. 1-2 So Nebuchadnezzar (the King, leader) of Babylon had a dream and was unaware of it's meaning. It brought concern and deep confusion. It was so bothersome that he could not sleep. What did he do? He called upon magicians, astrologers, and sorcerers. Clearly, he chose in his turmoil to seek the world's advice and answers to his problem.... They could not provide him with the answer/interpitation of his dream. But how many of us, when we are in turmoil call on everyone but God. We go to our friends, tv, magazines, books, internet, etc. before we go to our GOD.

Vs. 2-13In his anger Nebuchadnezzar made the decision to cut in pieces those who were unable to interpret the dream and have their houses left as a heap of ash. He continued with his rant by ordering all the wise men to come and attempt to interpret the dream. "Really! Is this guy nuts? He was willing to kill those who could not interpret?" WOW! What a leader! (Sarcasm added!). What an example of how not to act/over-react as leaders! Allowing emotion and fear control our behavior brings decisions that are unwise and cause harm to others. Many men had died before they came to Daniel and his companions for an answer, but Daniel did not rely on man...

Vs. 14-17 When they came to Daniel for an answer he models for us godly leadership in his actions. it says in verse 14 "with WISDOM and COUNSEL" Daniel answered Arioch, the captain of the king's guard. The first wise thing Daniel did was he sought wisdom and counsel before he opened his mouth to commit! Then he asks the king for time. (vs16) Time to pray, get before the Lord, and Hear from the Lord. (vs 17) he returns to his companions (brothers in Christ) and informs them of his decision and so that they may join him in prayer and going before God on their behalf. So he not only seeks wisdom before he decides, he asks for time, and he enlists his friends to join in the spiritual battle with him!

WOW! what a beautiful picture leadership as he models waiting on the Lord, partnering with other believers, and being led by Him! How I pray that I follow Daniel's model in my life! So many times we make decisions that we never ask God for His wisdom and leading.

Vs. 18-23 God hears the cry of Daniel and his companions and reveals the secret of the dream to Daniel. Immediately Daniel praises and blesses the name of God! He didn't run around bragging that God revealed it to him, he didn't run and tell his companions, or even the king (although his life was in danger) he immediately praises God!

Vs.24-47 Daniel then goes with confidence to the king and tells him not to kill the wise men of Babylon any longer, and he (Daniel) will tell him what the dream means. He tells Nebuchadnezzar the dream's interpretation and is bold i sharing that the God in heaven who reveals secrets has made know to him the dream. Daniel doesn't take the credit for himself and gloat in the glory. He boldly professes God's power and wisdom to reveal the dream to him. Later (vs 47) king Nebuchadnezzar acknowledges our GOD. He says, "Truly your God is the GOd of gods, the LORD of kings and the revealer of secrets, since you could reveal this secret."

Amazing isn't it! God is glorified because one man (Daniel) decides to seek him, enlists his friends to pray and seek him, waits for God's answer, and then is bold enough to obey and give the glory back to God.

Now that is leadership!

How can you apply this to your life today?

For me...

Just me: Do I wait to hear from the Lord for His answer so that I can confront the situation in front of me with confidence as Daniel approaches the king.

As a wife: When Tu comes to me with the decision already made and just asks me to pray (as Daniel did his companions) do I join him in prayer, or do I question his decision.

As a mommy: What kind of leadership am I modeling for my children. When uncertain times arise do I model for them a servant seeking the Lord's guidance in prayer or do I rely on the world's solutions.

My desire and prayer is to be a daughter who is humbly seeking, waiting, and relying on my King JESUS! I want to be a Daniel in my spear of influences; not a Nebuchadnezzar. Unashamed and dependent on His leading!

Thanks for stopping in today. I pray your challenged and blessed as I am.