In His word Wednesday

To share a prayer request,scripture passage, or something of encouragement go here.

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." Deut. 31:6

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

We have nothing to fear. The scriptures make that pretty clear, but our flesh gets the better of us. I'm going to try to remember these verses anytime worry or fear start to creep in. I'm sure it will make a big difference!

I can't believe it......

I actually won something! I never win anything. If you remember Sarah was giving away 5 books and I was lucky enough to snag one! I'm looking forward to reading it, thanks again Sarah for having the giveaway!

Spring Cleaning Week 9 -Kitchen

Well we are almost done! I can't believe how much we've gotten done! Feel free to join in, go here. This week is the kitchen.
I got a head start last week, but I still have plenty to do. I have to scrub most of the walls and I have all my lower cabinets to clean, and 3 upper cabinets left to clean. It's a great time to reorganize or get rid of what you don't use since your taking everything out of your cabinets to clean them! My mil cleaned above the cabinets for me! I have to do windows and curtains. The floors and baseboards need a good scrub too. I can't forget about the appliances, they need a good cleaning to. (I'm including the sink in this too!) I have a few new things for my walls, and of course some clutter to pick up. Be sure to check out Sarah's site for a detailed list of what to do! She'll get you motivated!!!

Giveaway!!

If you cloth diaper or are interested in it go here for a chance to win some diaper covers or AIO diapers or a carrier. It ends on Monday so be sure to check it out! She has several ways to win!

Spring Cleaning Week 8 Living Room

I didn't link up on Monday because of being sick, so you won't get to see the mess I started with! It wasn't too bad just needed a good cleaning. I still need to clean my glass other than my french doors. My Mom came over today to decorate the boys' birthday cake and she helped me finish up my cleaning! Thank you very much mom! Yesterday my mil came and helped me work on the kitchen! Yes I took a head start for next week! Thanks Jeanne! If you want to see how others did go here!

A Challenge!

Megan from here is having a challenge! It is just the challenge I need! I know I'm getting ready to have Reuben pretty quickly, but exercise is very important. I have tried to walk either outside or on our elliptical machine off and on thru the pregnancy. (I haven't done the greatest!) I used to be thin, not healthy, but thin. At the time that was all I cared about. I WAS NOT going to let myself get fat. Well then I got married and started having babies, and 50 lbs later (OK right now more than that b/c of Reuben!!) I'm fat!
Between Zeke and TJ my sil and I were exercising. I was probably the healthiest I'd ever been . We were running 9 miles 3 times a week and walking 6 miles 3 times a week. I lost 25 lbs and felt really good. I knew I still had more weight to loose but( I was the girl in high school who couldn't run 1 mile without having to walk) being able to run (jog) 3 miles at a time without walking was amazing!
Since I am getting ready to have a c-section and then will be recovering from it I am just hoping to walk right now at least 4 times a week. Right after the c-section probably not that much. I hope you'll join the challenge!

Giveaway

Sarah over here is having a giveaway. She's giving away 5 books! She has several ways to enter so check it out! Thanks Sarah!

I think I'm back!

Did you miss me? Well if you didn't could you lie and say you did? Thanks!
I'm still not sure that we are 100%, but we are better! I'm very glad, cause I have a lot to do. I spent the whole week last week holding TJ so I didn't get my spring cleaning done last week(OK I didn't get anything done!) and I need to get started on this week too!
Thursday is 2 weeks til the c-section. The hospital called today to tell me what time to be there and when to come for my blood work. That makes it feel a lot closer. It was kind of an AHHHHHHHH moment!


A few days before TJ got sick we tried to take some pictures of the kids. Here are a few for you to enjoy!

Titus is 2!

My little boy is getting bigger. His vocabulary is growing and he is quite often very funny. We love him very much and can't wait to see what he'll be like as he continues to grow!

He decided to celebrate today by puking!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yay! Hopefully it was only the once and no one else gets it!

Scripture Time

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him will not perish, but have everlasting life.

Spring Cleaning Week 7 The Entry

It's time for more work this week! We are on week 7 out of 10. Go here to join in and link up! We'd love to have you join in!

I included both of our entries here. The one is from the garage and we are normally the only ones to use it. It gets very dirty since that's where the kid's run in and out of. The walls and door need SCRUBBED bad! Our other entry is not too bad. It's basically a hallway! The one end has a closet (I cleaned that out when Brie was in Oregon) and I have a hall tree at that end too. I'm pretty sure I have some coats hanging there that need to be packed up. Other than a really good cleaning I'm not sure if anything will change! Have a great week cleaning!

And yes in the one picture you can see our Christmas trees outside! I will try to get those put away before they get a nest in them!

Good Friday

I'm going to leave you with some verses today that I hope will help you to celebrate the real meaning of Easter. I know it's fun to do the egg hunts, and candy or other goodies, but please remember the REAL reason we celebrate Easter.
This is my favorite holiday. I can't help but become very emotional at what my savior did for me. To stop and think about him hanging on a cross that was meant for me. I'm the one that deserves it, he didn't. It's just utterly humbling to me. I hope this Easter you can focus on what he really did for you. If you've never entered into a relationship w/ Jesus but want too, leave a comment so I can pray for you and try to give you any encouragement I can.

Matthew 27:50-53 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.

Matthew 28:1-10 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."
So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."

1 Peter 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead..

I hope you all have a wonderful Easter weekend.

Spring Cleaning Week 6 The Office

I got a fair amount done this week, but not everything I needed too. I still have some organizing to do with our school stuff. I want to get some shelves for above my desk. A lot of the organizing is on hold til I can get the shelves! I still have some cleaning to do too. Go here to check and see how others did. Be sure to join us next week for more!

Loving my Husband Friday

Shannon over here is hosting a great series. Please feel free to join in. It's a chance to encourage your husband and your marriage, focus on the good!

One thing I love about about my husband is how he provides for our family. He provides:

~financially- He has a job that enables us to buy food and clothes and live in our house!

~physically- He's here to hug and kiss us, and play games with us too. (He even plays Polly's w/ Brie!!)

~emotionally- He encourages us and makes time for us. If one of the kid's has a boo-boo he kisses it. He talks to us and asks us questions.

~and spiritually- He prays with us. He reads his bible. He has his thoughts on God and advises us accordingly.

He's a very busy guy, but he makes time for us. We love him dearly.

Giveaway!!

Megan over here is having another giveaway! What a generous girl she is! It's for a Soy candle that her family business just started making! I can almost smell it burning!! She has 5 different ways to enter so be sure to go over and check it out!

Things I Love Thursday

It's Thursday so it's time for things you love! Go here to link up and join us! Today I'm loving Brie's new summer cut! What's even better about it is that I did it so it was free!

I know it looks like she's cheering, but really we were just playing Polly's and she didn't know I was taking a picture!

In His word Wednesday

It's Wednesday! Share an encouragement, prayer request, or scripture. Feel free to join in we'd love to have you! Go here to read more or to join in.

Today I'm sharing one of my favorite songs. Easter is this Sunday and this song is all about it. I want to encourage you to really listen to the words. It's Why by Nicole Nordaman. I hope you enjoy it. Here it is!

Scripture Time

1 John 3:1-6
1How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears,[a]we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.
4Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. 5But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. 6No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.

These verses are a comfort to me. V 1 How great is the love the Father has lavished on us? Now ask yourself How great is his love? I think it's pretty great, life isn't always easy. We can have so many struggles or problems but His love is still available to us, it's always there. Verses 4 & 5 we all sin, except Him who had no sin.
I'm not going to comment on verse 6. I've had discussions w/ many people on this topic and I think it seems to confuse me more. Please feel free to comment and help me out or just pray that it will become clear as mud for me! I know that if we've accepted Jesus as our personal savior we should be striving toward perfection. I don't think that I can achieve it though. I know some who say it's more of a heart matter. (with the sinning) When I sin I know I did it I feel awful I try to repent right away and if it involved someone else I also ask for their forgiveness. Where others might not think about the fact it was sin or just say I'm saved so I'm covered under the blood. I really don't know. I think I used to think a murderer was worse than I was. I now have been told (and can see and do believe) that sin has no degrees/levels. It's all the same in God's eyes. Well let me give you 2 different situations:
I have 2 kids I get mad and yell because they made a mess or they're fighting, or they disobeyed, or whatever you want them to be doing. I get really mad and say something I shouldn't (maybe I even hit them) and feel awful.
Situation #2- I'm not married, but I'm living with a man. I know I shouldn't be doing what I'm doing but I just really love him and I think that God wants us to be together.

What is the difference between the 2? They are both sinning separating themselves from God. How should we look at it? Is it as simple as repentance, one is making an effort and one isn't maybe? Should we question there salvation? Help me out here. When I read verse 6 it makes it sound to me (the spiritually immature person I am) like we can't know him and keep sinning. Thanks for any help you can give!

Father~ Thank you for your words. Help me to better understand it, sometimes it seems so clear to me and sometimes I feel so very lost. I know the more time I spend with you the easier I can understand it, help me to put you in control of my life. Help me to be closer to you dear Lord. In your name Amen.

Giveaway!!

Danielle is having a giveaway! Go here to check it out! She's making it a surprise, but I'm sure it will be great! Be sure to check out her fun blog and enter to win. She has 4 different ways you can enter to win, so go enter!

Spring Cleaning Week 6 The Office

Well we don't have an actual office so I will have a few areas to work on this week. We have some papers in our closet that should be gone through. Our closet is the size of a small bedroom so we use it to file all our bills and important papers. We homeschool and I have a bookshelf in the toy room that needs organized. A little history, we have an unfinished basement, last year we decided to start finishing a room to make our school room. Well we got a lot done but there is no heat and no electricity yet. Well having school in a 50 degree room was not my idea of fun so as soon as it started getting cold we moved upstairs. This year I didn't want to have to do that again because I was constantly having to run down and get something we needed or just doing with out. It didn't work for us. So after some thought and getting some opinions we are going to move our school room into the toy room. I'm going to get started on this, I may not get all the way done, but a start will be great. I have some items that I need up where Titus or other little visiting hands can't reach them so I'm going to brainstorm what I can do that is frugal and attractive. If you have any ideas that would be great! Our school room is right of off the entry so if you step into my house you can see it. Which is why I'd like it to be nice and attractive! Go here to get more help from Sarah and to join us! It's really a wonderful way to do it, you don't get overwhelmed. Have a great week check back on Friday to check how everyone did!

This room started as a dining room, but quickly changed because it's so small that we couldn't fit everyone in it when we would have company! Just wanted to explain the chair rail and colors etc.!

Spring Cleaning Week 5 Laundry Room

Well I think I'm finished for this week! It seemed to be more of a challenge this week for some reason. It's a little more organized and a lot cleaner! Go here to check others progress and be sure to join us next week!

Diapers!!!

I LOVE cloth diapers, probably way more than I should! We started cloth diapering Titus right from the beginning. I'm looking forward to cloth diapering Reuben as well. I wish this post was to show off some of the diapers my mom and I have been working on, but it's not! (yet!)
About 3-4 months ago Titus started waking up @ night, well of course it was very frustrating. He would grab his bottom and cry so we decided to try disposable diapers at night to see if that helped. It did! So @ night much to my dismay he's in sposies, but at least he sleeps! Well I had a little bit of free time and I decided to see if I could find a coupon for disposable diapers. His current pack is almost out. I came across a site called diapers.com. Maybe you've heard of them before, I hadn't. I started looking around and found the chlorine free diapers. I thought well duh why haven't I been buying those, I know why b/c they are normally more expensive than LUVS! Well after comparing the "healthy" ones I decided to buy some. They had a promo code for new customers to save $5, and I got free shipping. Well I looked a little bit harder and found a code for $10 off. Now for those of you who use diapers you can use this code HEYE3010 to get $10 off for yourself, or it says you can enter my email address.(heyerlys@hotmail.com) I'm not going to say they are the absolute cheapest, cause I don't know. They were either the same or cheaper than amazon, and the luvs they had were cheaper that what I got @ dollar general. Happy shopping!

Things I Love Thursday

What do you love today? Go here and share w/ us we'd love to have you join in!

Well sometimes it's hard to choose something I love, today was pretty easy! I love joking around and having fun. I have an almost 2 year old and he is a huge goof ball. (possibly a chip off the old block) Last night as my pregnancy was taking affect and I didn't want to cook we decided on some leftovers and popcorn. I was working on dishes as everything was being prepared. Brie came over and whispered to me that she was going to put bugs in her dads bowl of popcorn, but don't tell him! Just to clarify not real bugs, we have oodles of plastic bugs that the kids love to play with (except TJ who is normally scared of them!). Well Brie dumped the popcorn in the bowls and buried the bugs in the bowl. She gave Mark his bowl and he right away saw the bugs. He brought it over too me grinning like what is this supposed to be, I laughed. He said well Brie I saw these in here and gave them back to her. She put them in Zeke's bowl, it made him mad and he stormed back to his room. She then put one in TJ's bowl. Well it took him awhile to see the bug, but when he did he screamed and started running away crying. It was quite funny, I wish we would've gotten it on video. It took him about a half an hour before we could convince him the bug was really gone from his bowl, and he would eat!

Scripture Time

Colassians 2:6So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, 7rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
8See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.

In His word Wednesday

If you have an encouraging word, or scripture, or a prayer request go here and join us. We'd love to have you join in!

Today I'm going to leave a prayer request and an encouragement. I have a blog (OK several!) that I follow and really enjoy. Here's the link http://www.mycharmingkids.net/. It is an amazing story. If you have the time I would encourage you to take the time to read it. She has 4 young children. When she was pregnant with her 4th (who is just 5 months) she was told he wouldn't make it. Well he did and the heart problem he was diagnosed with seemed to disappear when he was born. Well just a little over a week ago his problem came back. So join me and thousands of others and pray for little Stellan and for the rest of the family. This morning as I was reading I was really encouraged by her faith that whatever happens God is in control. I'm in agreement with her, but I know sometimes (like when your infant is fighting for his life) it's hard to remember. Reading her post this morning brought me to tears, we really do serve an awesome God!