Merry Christmas

It has been a very nice day at the Todd household. Last night we spent the evening with my husband's side of the family. It was complete with the Christmas story, birthday cake for Jesus, and a nice time with gifts and fellowship. Today we are at my mom's house with more great food and gifts. I'm very thankful that we are having our second birthday cake for Jesus. I 'm thankful the Lord for a goodly heritage from both sides of the family and that my children know the true meaning of Christmas. It has been a relaxing day and a blessing to everyone in the family. I want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. God Bless you during this season.

Christmas is Coming

I just love Christmas. I can honestly say it is my favorite holiday. We have wonderful family traditions. Every year we go into the city and see the Christmas lights. We will eat dinner at the Walnut Room at Macy's around the Christmas tree. We will eat Garrets popcorn and walk State Street and look at the windows. There is a sweet little German Village in Daily Center with the Nativity, apple strudel, and the huge Christmas tree. We have to go see the light in Aurora and my kids have to shop for each other. This truly is the most wonderful time of the year. I want to make sure that my children know that Christ was born on Christmas and it's His birthday. Even though we have a lot of wonderful Christmas traditions I never want to forget the TRUE meaning of Christmas. Have a very Merry Christmas.

Getting Ready for Christmas

We have had quite a week. It just seems like life has been a whirlwind since Thanksgiving. We have had baking to do, and a tree to trim, and all the other preparations that all of us have to prepare for this time of the year.

Mrs. Kuipers is doing better and is going into a new facility and we are looking forward to her recovery. Please pray for Ashley. Last Tuesday her childhood friend passed away at 17 years old. This has been a rough time for her as a new christian. She is very strong but can use our prayers.

Since my last post our son has turned 9 years old. I have to share the cutest thing he most recently said. Having a kid like Quinten in the house we are always laughing at something he says. Yesterday I asked him to take out more garbage than usual and it involved some heavy lifting. He went into the go fish game pulled out a card and handed it to me and said "Quinten's Disposal Service thank you for calling" He than proceeded to inform me that he charges $10.00 an hour for this service. I told him that I simply could not afford that rate and that I would have to hire someone else. He then said "since you cook for me and you teach and don't forget my laundry i guess I'll give you a discount and only charge you a hug" I then let him know that was a wise decision so that I didn't charge him with disobedience. Is he not the cutest thing you have ever seen. Last night we had Christmas program practice and we had not eaten. I stopped at McDonald's and we decided to go in and eat (we never go inside at McDonald's). I could not believe how excited he was to be alone with me in a restaurant. It just thrills my heart that my son wants to be with me. What a blessing. After last night we decided that we are going to out with just the two of us every month. Well I need to go wrap gifts before my kids wake up. Have a great day.

Christmas Coffee

Last night was our annual Christmas coffee at the Grace Baptist Church. This is one of the most exciting events of the year. My little daughter Paige was so excited. She has been talking about the "cookie party" all week. She talks about when she gets to be a "Lady of Grace." This is a life time goal for her. Anyway, this year was a lot of fun. I had my mom with me and my dear friend Edith. I had a GREAT team of ladies in the kitchen. A BIG thank you to all that helped serve all that wonderful food. Kina makes the best coffee and the fellowship was great. I had the privilege to give my personal testimony. I never realized what a blessing that I can be by telling people what the Lord has done in my life. I had never done anything like that before. We had Donna Stanley as guest speaker. It was a lot of fun to see the First Baptist girls again as well. The whole evening was great. The food the fellowship and the fun. Thank You to Mrs. Fink for all the hard work that you put into the Ladies of Grace. Last night was such a blessing to so many and it was an extra special blessing to me. I'm sorry I don't have a camera to capture some of the highlight moments. I'll have to talk to Santa about that one. (just kidding we don't believe in Santa).

Happy Thanksgiving

Well it's Thanksgiving weekend. I pray your family had a great time as we stopped to be thankful for what the Lord has given us. This household has been BUSY BUSY BUSY. We have enjoyed the time to relax and be with family and friends. My all time favorite college student is home for the long weekend. It has been wonderful to spend time talking and catching up on life since August with her. We have so much to be thankful for. Mrs.Kuipers is waking up slowly, we have had a lot of out of town company in and out for the weekend as the family has arrived to see her in the hospital. We have so much to be thankful for and so many blessings that the Lord has given us. As I stop to reflex it is overwhelming to see His bountiful blessings and His goodness to us. Thank you Lord for who you are and all you have done this year for our family.

We Need Your Prayers

It has been quite a week. On Wednesday night after church I spent the night with my dear friend of 20 years Mrs. Kuipers in the hospital ER. On Thursday Mrs. Kuipers had a very serious surgery and is in ICU on life support. Mrs Kuipers has a husband who she takes care of, with a lot of medical issues himself. Please pray for this family. I want to thank my neighbor Keith for taking Mr. Kuipers in his home and helping him with his daily needs. It is very exciting watching how the Lord is using Keith in this way. Mrs. Kuipers has family coming in from out of state today. I want to thank my dear friend Cindy for all her help in cleaning as we prepare for out of town family. I'm excited to see how the Lord's people have rallied together in this situation and loved on this family. Please pray for Mrs. Kuipers as she faces another surgery on Monday. Her recovery is going to be a long journey. I praise the Lord for all the help and for his soverenty in this situation.

Another Week Has Past

It just seems lately that I wake up from a nap and the week is over. This week we had a wonderful home school meeting on Monday. I just love the home school meetings we learn so much about how to do our jobs as moms and teachers. Thank You to Pastor and Julie for all their had work in helping to make this part of our lives a success. It was another great meeting.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ On Wednesday we had the privilege of having Angelina over for the day. She is a DELIGHTFUL little girl. It just thrills my heart to watch the girls play. We had a tea party with real water. We had a great time painting fingers and toes. We drew pictures and played with play dough. We had so much fun just being girls and doing girl things. I love how the girls enjoy being what God made them, which is sweet little girls.

On Wednesday afternoon my dyer went out. I'm very thankful to my wonderful husband who called someone to fix it right away. That could have been a real problem. Then as we were in the van getting ready to go to church we found the battery was dead. I'm very thankful that our neighbor Keith had a new battery that fit in our van perfectly. Thank you Lord for His provision.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Friday night was a real blessing to me. We had a babysitter and Sam and I went on a date. It is always good to have time to go out alone with your husband. Today (Saturday) we had a baby shower at church. Showers are always fun especially at GBC. Tonight was family night. For family night after dinner we decided to light the fireplace and have hot coco. This is one of the favorite family night for the children. As we were watching the fire and drinking hot coco the conversation came up about Christmas. We were talking about were to put the Christmas tree this year and many other this that we were going to do for Christmas. Then Quinten told Paige that we were going to put baby Jesus in the front yard and she said the sweetest thing. She said "I will give baby Jesus my blankie cause His is cold" That just brought tears to my eyes to think that Paige would give up her favorite blanket for baby Jesus. She then asked if He was going to be outside very long. I told her we would bring Him back in after Christmas. That made Paige feel a little better. She is so cute. I'm so thankful for my children and all the blessing that they give us everyday.

Being Saturday night I need to get ready for the Lord's day. I pray everyone has a good week.

What a Fun Night

Last night we had a wonderful ladies meeting at the Grace Baptist Church. If you have never attended a ladies at GBC you are missing out. Last nights meeting was about family celebration. We each had to bring our favorite family recipe. Mrs. Billquest makes the best chicken in the crock pot (ask her for the recipe Yummy Yummy ). We had to bring a copy of the recipes for everyone to share. The food was good and the fellowship was great. We also had my favorite speaker Mrs. Julie Fink. I learned of a few ways to make our holidays more fun and memorable for our children. As the lady of the house I really am the one that sets the tone of the family. I learned last night how to do that more effectively. Thank you Julie for all the hard work that you put into the ladies ministry at our church and thank you for sharing your information with all of us. I look forward to0 seeing everyone at the Christmas Coffee in December.

I'm Still Alive

In case anyone wondered I'm still alive. We have had a lot of happening since you last heard from us. I have had a date with my best friend (thank you Cindy for babysitting). We have had our favorite college student friend home for the weekend. She is doing great and I could not be more proud of her and what is happening in her life. We have served in a wedding at our church and that was lots of fun. Not to mention we have had book reports to finish, fourth grade math and cursive writing (kinda hard for a boy). Needless, to say I don't understand what it means to be board. Looking ahead there are ladies meeting at church to prepare (Linda your the best). My husband will be at Camp Joy for the weekend. I have a baby shower to serve and Thanksgiving is fast approaching. I can't believe that it is November already here and Christmas is just around the corner. I think that having so many things to accomplish keeps me focused on the things that matter. It also enhances my walk with the Lord because without having a close daily walk with God I could never make it all happen. God has given us so many important things to do for Him that trying to be in the center of His will is the number one priority. I love being busy for the Lord. I'm thankful that I have the privilege to be home with our children and to take care of my home and to serve in our church, but sometimes that adds up to neglect of the old blog. I'm sorry I'll try to do better. Yesterday as I was doing school my three year old lined up all her babies and proclaimed that Sunday School was in a minute and everyone needed to get dressed right away. She is so cute and it is worth it all. Thank you Lord.

Good news

Today I went to see my doctor for a routine diabetes check up. Well I have good news and of course I have bad news . The bad news is that my blood sugars are out of control, and I really need to bear down and fix that with my lifestyle. The good news is I lost seven pounds since my last visit three months ago. All my other blood work came back fine and over all (except the blood sugars) I am pretty healthy. Praise the Lord for your health. You don't realize how important is really is until you don't have it.


On a brighter note. We had a blast in Kings Kids tonight. We are studying the plagues and tonight we took rice and pretended that it was lice. We threw it all over and everyone loved it (even the adults). Kings Kids is a lot of fun. We look forward to it every week. Next week we are talking about flies. Party City here I come. I must go it is almost time for Ashley to call. We are studying for mid-terms together this week. It is so sweet and refreshing to answer her Bible question as we get her ready for a Bible test. It is so much fun to have a baby Christian in your life it keeps you feeling fresh and alive. Thank You Lord for the chance to enjoy such a sweet but little thing. If you think about it say a little prayer for Ashley this week is mid-terms and if you have ever been to Christian college you know what I mean a stressful week. But with God all things are possible.

Spectacular Week

It has been a incredible week. On Monday we took a field trip to Michigan to pick apples. The kids really enjoyed watching the apple cider being made and the cider apple donuts were out of this world.

On Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday I had the privilege of going to Hammond to the Ladies Spectacular. Boy, it was more than spectacular this year. I made life changing decisions and I now even more can be what God has called me to be more effectively. I want to thank my wonderful pastor's wife Julie for taking the time to help us all get there. Your lesson was the best and the truth that was given was the truth. While I was at the spectacular I ran into the pastor that lead me to the Lord. He teaches at Hyles-Anderson College and is still going strong for the Lord. What a blessing it was to see him and his dear wife again. Of course because I am getting older it would only make sense that he and his wife are getting up in age. His dear wife is blind now and his health is failing. It warmed my heart so much as this grown man stood in the foyer of First Baptist Church with big tears rolling down his face as he talked about all the years that my up bringing has made such an impact on my life. I was saved at the age of four under this dear man's ministry and today I am still trying my best to serve the Lord and to teach my children the ways of the Bible. I have been serving in some capacity for 20 years and I have seen many saved and baptised and many lives changed. Ladies stick to the word of God you will not be sorry. I am so thankful for my heritage. Both of my parents were also saved under the ministry of this dear man. I really touched my heart to see him again. I do believe that this sweet elderly man will keep serving the Lord until he is called to heaven. Thank Pastor S for being a faithful servant all these years.

Well, it has already been a life changing week and tomorrow I have the honor and privilege of hearing my dear Pastor give us the Word of God. Thank You Sam (that is my wonderful husband) for paying for me to go to the spectacular. Thank You to Rachel for helping me with my kids on Wednesday. And thank you Sam for taking vacation days to help with the kids so I could go to spectacular. It has been awesome!!!!! I must go iron for Sunday.

A First Time For Everything

Last night was a unforgettable experience. My girl friend Cindy and I went and got haircuts. Not just a hair cut but a unbelievable adventure. Introducing Salon aria! This was so much fun. When you walk in the door they offer you water. They then "wash" more like massage you hair and scalp. This was the most incredible hair cut I have EVER had in my life. I had the owner cut my hair. He did a great job. He had a lot of great ideas of ways to style my hair. I'm looking forward to "playing" with my hair and trying to make it look like it did last night. This is not a place that I would get my hair done on a regular basis but last night was the best hair cut and the most fun I have had in a salon. Sometimes it is so much fun to be a girl.

Last night after the salon we went out to dinner. We ate at bd Mongolian Grill. That was also my first time eating in a place like this. This is a neat place to eat. First you select your meat, and then you pile on the vegetables, you then select your sauce, you give the whole thing to the boys on the grill and they cook it for you. The food was really good and the whole experience was lots of FUN. The other "FIRST" was last night my wonderful husband babysit for Cindy's son Zack and my kids. They had pizza and watched Andy Griffith all night. There were a lot of first last night and ALL of them were just wonderful. Thank You so much to my wonderful friend Cindy and my awesome husband for making it all possible for me. It was a unforgettable once in a life time evening.

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Yesterday in the afternoon my phone rang and I heard a VERY excited voice on the other end. We are all praising the Lord. Ashley lead her very first soul to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. It was such a blessing to hear the details of how it happened. It is so exciting to see her grow in the Lord. She is growing so much in Christ. It is so exciting to see her living the Bible College experience to it's fullest. I am thankful that the Lord is allowing me to mentor her in the Christian life. Ashley we love you very much and we are SO proud for you. There is nothing like having the privilege of leading your first soul to Christ. It's only Saturday morning but it has been a very exciting weekend already. THANK YOU LORD!!!!!!

A Weekend to Remember

WOW what a weekend is has been. Friday night at our local church was our monthly ladies meeting. This month was "A Taste of Missions" and boy was it fun. We heard from a dear sweet newer lady of our church who grew up as a missionary and she gave us all a new appreciation of missionaries. Some of the things that she said just broke my heart. I don't think people realize the sacrifices missionaries make to take the gospel around the world. I know I was motivated to do more for our own missionaries. The food was fabulous. A great big thank you to our hospitality team. We could not have done without you. Friday night was lots of fun and I was convicted to do more for the missionary families that our church supports. If you missed it you missed a great time.

Friday and Saturday we had a garage sale at our friends Bob and Cindy. We had lots of success at getting rid of a lot of stuff and making money too. On Saturday afternoon our Pastor treated all the church nursery workers to a very nice lunch at the Olive Garden. Thank you Pastor that was fun. On Saturday evening we celebrated my mother-in-law's birthday.

Sunday morning was a REAL blessing in my life. In Sunday School the Holy Spirit put his finger on a certain sin in my life. This was on of the most eye opening experiences of my entire Christian life. It is something I will have to work on daily because I have been buying in to this sin for many years. I want so much for this area in my life to improve. You know, we except our husbands to get over the pain in their past. We except those we love to get over the past. We except our older children to get over their experiences. Now the Lord is excepting ME to work on my sin. I will have to examine my life daily until I brake this sinful habit. All though it is not going to be easy I know the Lord can use me in special way when I conquer this bad thought pattern. Now that I know that it's sin I plan to work on fixing it. I am thankful for a Sunday School teacher bold enough to teach the truth. I thankful for a church that takes a stand. And I'm thankful for a weekend to remember.

Happy Birthday Edith

Today is a very important day. My very dear friend Edith is 80 years young today. I met Edith over 17 years ago. We were attending another church in the area and the very first thing that I did as a service to the church was to make a cake for her husband's funeral. Edith and I have been close friends ever since. Edith has been a member of her church for a total of 49 years. Edith was saved as a small child. Edith is a perfect example of a GODLY woman. She has her time with the Lord daily (never call her before 8:00am). She is a faithful prayer warrior and she attends church faithfully. Edith is a great example of the Titus 2 woman. I can't even begin to tell you all that Edith has taught me. When Edith was about to be married to her husband her father passed away and the newly weds had to have her mother (with Alzheimer's) move in with them. Shortly after her mother passed away her dear husband found out he had Parkinson's. Edith found her self giving extensive medical care to some one all of her life. Edith has served with chalk talks in her Sunday School class. She has served in any way that she can in her local church for 49 years. Edith has served her family over and over again. Edith has three wonderful kids who all live in the area and see her often. Edith has been a "spiritual" mom to me for over 17 years. When things seem like they are out of control she is the one I call for prayer. Edith is the one who has taught me to be a "spiritual" mom to others. I can't even to begin to imagine what my life would be like if the Lord had not brought Edith into my life. I look forward to our next "hey do you have any popcorn?" night. (that means I need to talk and pray with you). Edith is a REAL blessing to so many, but Edith means the world to me. Happy Birthday Edith. I Love you with ALL my heart. Because you have invested in me I find my self investing in others and there is no other blessing like it. Thank You for all the time and love you put in to me. I look forward to many more birthdays to come.

A Great Sunday

Yesterday was Pastor 's 7th Anniversary. It was a wonderful day. The preaching was awesome as usual and the music was a blessing. After the service we headed over to Dell Wood Park for a picnic GBC style. What fun we had playing with our families and friends. The food was good the cotton candy, snow cones and popcorn were once again over the top. The evening concluded with a chalk talk and more great music. If was a great blessing for all who attended. It was so exciting to see Ashley come home from college to honor the Pastor. Paige was so excited and would not let Ashley out of her site. After the picnic we ordered a pizza and of course did the college Wal-Mart trip. The whole day was wonderful. We look forward to serving the Lord under Pastor for many more years to come. Pastor Fink (and family) WE LOVE YOU!!

Paige is a BiG Girl Now

Today was a big day for our three year old daughter. Because of home schooling her big bother Paige has developed a very serious love of the library. Every Friday afternoon we pack up the children and head for the local library. Today as we were checking out our 26 books and my sweet little girl said "mommy do I get a library card too?" You know I never thought about it. Paige has always checked books about teddy bears and kittens on her brother's card. So we decided to ask, and it turns out that Plainfield library does not have a age requirement to get a library card. Paige (my baby girl) now has her very own library card. So was so excited and she feels so big now. She even got a big round sticker for her shirt that tells everyone that she has her own card. I just love the fact that Paige loves books. I just can't believe how fast she is growing up. We are proud of you Paige and we love you very much. She still thinks she is ready to go to college. Mom is NOT ready for that quite yet.

Geting To Know You

I would like to tag all my blogging buddies to answer some questions just for fun that will help us get to know you better. So if your reading this consider yourself TAGGED!!

1. Your favorite color?

(purple)

2. What you wanted to be when you grew up?

(a mommy- I loved my dolls as I grew up- I pretended to be mommy as long as I can remember )

3. Your Favorite Food?

(hot buttered popcorn)

4. How do you relax?

I take a hot bubble bath with a good book)

5. If you won a million dollars what would you do?

(pay off my house, safe for Paige and Quin's college, Pay off Ashley school bill, build a new church)

6. Things I enjoy?

(I love to home school--learning is so much fun)

7. What kind of formal education did you receive?

(Graduated from Bible College-- I also have a bachelors in Education)

8. How many siblings do you have?

( only my brother- He is four years younger than I am)

9. What is the most important thing that has ever happened to you?

(the day I got saved, The day I got married,and the day my kids were born)

10. What is your favorite book of the Bible?

(Proverbs for practical living)

11. What is your life verse?

II Cor 12:9

I think that this was fun to do. If you think that this was fun to read I'm sure others will enjoy reading your post as you answer these questions. Feel free to and questions of your own if you would like. Have and have a great week.

Happy Birthday Grandma

Yesterday was my mom's 61st birthday. We are going out to lunch today with her to celebrate. We are going to MIMI"S cafe. We have never been there. My mom is a wonderful lady. She is always looking out for her family. I'm thankful that she lives so close to us and can see my children on a regular basis. I love and care about my mom and I'm thankful that I can be called her daughter and that my kids can call her "Grand" mother. Happy Birthday Mom. We love you.

I also want to wish my dear friend Gerlinde Borgers a Happy Birthday today as well. I pray that you have a great day.

A Big Help

The other night I was saying to my husband that I was overwhelmed with home schooling and all the other things that I had to get done on a weekly basis. He asked me how he could help. Before the summer was over I really wanted to get my filing caught up and the house needs a through cleaning. My wonderful husband hired some wonderful HELP. This morning I had Tabitha come for the morning to get me caught up on my filing and we got my basement back in order. I just love Tabitha's sweet spirit and her willingness to work. She will do anything that you ask her and she is not afraid to work hard. I'm so thankful that we are getting to know Tabitha and I look forward to her helping me again in the future. Thank You Tabby for all you have done to help me today. I feel much better about my basement and the fact I can think about other important things again.

Fun at a Friends

Yesterday was a very exciting day. We had our first play time with a friend. Angelina asked us to come and play. Paige was so excited. They did hair and nails. They played dress up. They colored and read books. All Paige talked about was the dress up and how she wants blue and red and purple dresses at her house to dress up in when Angelina comes over next week. We can't wait until next Wednesday when she comes to our house. We are already planning to play kitchen and baby dolls. We also have play dough. Miss Rachel took the girls to McDonald's and Paige came back to church with Angelina's family. Thank You so much Miss Rachel for taking Paige for the day. I personally intend to make this a "Wednesday" habit. We are going to have a blast when Angelina comes over to our house next week.

Taking The Next Step

We are so blessed. Once again the Lord has poured His blessing upon us. This time we are blessed in our home school. My husband and I are very very thankful for all the things our wonderful church has provided for us. Now we have the blessing of Grace Baptist Academy. We are so excited about GBA. We now have so many things to make our home school more effective. We have bi-monthly support from the academy staff. We have monthly field trips, and a reading program. The opportunity for professional record keeping (we personally don't need that yet but we will soon) . We have monthly chapel services, a Science Fair, an Author and Artist night and even a yearbook. WOW what an opportunity to have our home school to succeed. It compels me to be the best teacher that can for the sake of my family and my children. Thank so much to Miss Julie and the staff at the Grace Baptist Church that have given my husband and I some of the tools we need to be an effective home school for our children. We know how much work is involved to get everything in place for the Academy of Excellence. Thank You for all you do.

Another blessing this week is Ashley has found a job. Please continue to pray for her as she works and goes to school. We are very thankful that she in Christian college training to serve the Lord.

Blessing after blessing keep on following me. I Thank the Lord for all he has done in our life this week. Life is good.

Kids Are Sometimes So Cute

This was so cute I just had to share it. This morning in our devotions we were John 1:1-10 and Quin asked a question. "Mom, if God made all things, did God create Satan?" I then told him that at one time Satan was an angel. We then turned to Isaiah 14:12-17 and talk about Satan being cast out of heaven. Satan can not be in heaven because of sin. That is the same reason that we can not be in heaven. Without Christ shed blood there is no remission of sin. Quin then said " So Adam and Eve are responsible for KFC and Mcdonalds?" I then said I didn't follow that train of thought. He then explained that in the garden there was no meat. Without sin there was no sacrifices or killing of animals and we never would have had Quin's two favorite restaurants. I think I laughed for ten minutes.

A New Family Member

This morning, Keith left for California for a few weeks and of course Ashley is away at school so Meko the cat has moved in with us for awhile. In came the litter, the box, the toys, the food, the scratching post and all the "STUFF" that a spoiled rotten cat needs to maintain the lifestyle of a king. Ashley has of course called to see that the transition went well and Eddie has already let the cat know who is boss. Speaking of transition, Ashley is doing GREAT and she loves school. I just know she is going to finish well and God is going to be glorified by her life.

I do have a question for anyone who wants to answer. As most people know Paige is working on potty training. She is doing great staying dry during the day, but if she feels that she needs to "dirty" her pants she panics. I have never had this problem before. I just know someone is an expert on this subject. Any good problem solving ideas moms.

Well it has been a very busy day. I made poppers, made banana bread, made green bean soup and now it's time to make dinner. I still have okra to fry and green peppers to chop up or stuff or something and I just know that my husband will go to the garden in the next day or so. So I better get busy. We have church tonight. Wednesday night is always a big blessing. I guess it all adds up to a wonderful life with kids a dog and now of course a cat.

It's Almost Tea Time

Tonight was lot of fun. I was able to get out of the house a little bit. My dear friend Linda and I went out to do a little shopping for the Friendship tea this weekend. I personally am looking forward to the tea as well all the Ladies of Grace Activities this year. If you can I would encourage everyone who can to attend these wonderful events. I can't wait until Saturday and a great year ahead. As for Linda and I getting out of the house (with just an adult) was wonderful. Thanks Linda for making this such a fun evening. The Aunt Aunties Pretzel was awesome. Thanks your the best.

Garden fun Garden Fun

Well it is Labor Day and today we had so much fun laboring together with some great friends. We have the privilege of having a garden with our dear friends Bob and Cindy. Today we spent the afternoon and evening with the energizer bunny (aka Bob). If you have ever been around Bob you know. What comes out of Bob's kitchen is awesome. We did applesauce and cleaned basil for the all famous pesto. We had rye bread pizzas for dinner (sorry Sabrina) and I made a apple crisp. I know I myself can't believe I was able to cook in Bob and Cindy's kitchen. Please don't send any hate mail. (just kidding). As we were leaving the energizer bunny (Bob) said something about salsa. Well as Paige and Quin were getting tired we decided to head for home. I'm sure as I am typing the kitchen is still warm and more food it being made. (no pastas this time). Thank You Bob and Cindy for a great day and for helping us have fun as we labored on this Labor Day.

Yes We Have Started

The Todd's have started school. We are so excited about this school year. Today we worked on map skills. Quin loves to work on his maps. We have all the normal subject. Bible, Math, Language, Reading, Spelling, Science, and History. We are looking forward to a great school year. It has been a fun week. Paige is also loving preschool. I'm very thankful for the privilege to home school my children.

Hi Ho Hi Ho it's off to school We Go

Well it's here. It's time to start the new school year. I can't believe that the summer is over. It has been a fun summer. Yesterday we had the privilege of taking Ashley to Christian College. WHAT an exciting blessing. I 'm so proud of her. She has been placed in our lives to show us how exciting it is to be a Christian. Sometimes when you have been saved for a while you take the Christian life for granted. When the Lord allows a baby Christan to come into your life everything is fresh and new. I have had the privilege of watching her grow in Christ and now she is in Christian college. WOW!!!!! God is great. As we set up her dorm I couldn't help but think how special she has become to our family and how she has helped me to grow in Christ by helping her grow. We packed, we cleaned, we organized, and we shopped and now it's time to say good by to a very special young lady. We will be spending the next couple of days at the college for the opening Sunday and orientation on Monday. My kids are excited about the weekend and I am excited about Ashley's accomplishments. Before she left she don't have time to do laundry. I have two loads to finish before we go back to Elgin this afternoon. (We must be in college.) It is going to be so much fun the next four years. I 'm very proud of Ashley. Thank You Lord for the time I have had to be used of You in her life. Life is good.

Blessing After Blessing

WOW !! What a weekend we have had. On Friday night we went camping. (Ashley's idea). To my personally shock and surprise it was fun. On Sunday morning my dear friend Julie gave me the sweetest gift I have ever received. I wish I had pictures to show you but, my camera is broken and we can't get a new one right now. Julie gave me an apron that says "HOSTESS" in pink letters and it has pink and yellow flowers on it. Julie is getting very good at her embroidery and I wish I had pictures. Thank you so much for being such a sweet sister Julie and I just LOVE the apron.






On Sunday night our dear pastor honored Ashley and her life in Christ. It was such a sweet service and of course I cried and cried. I feel honored to have known Ashley and to be able to wittiness first hand what the Lord has done in her life. On Friday she will go off to college, as we were in the Wal-Mart picking up some of the things that she needs to go to college I could not help but be proud of her. Pray for Ashley as she goes to a Christian college. She will need the Lord's help and strength to get through all the things that are to come. But as Phil. 4:13 says "I can do all things through Christ that strengthen me" I look forward to her future as she prepares to serve the Lord and move forward. Blessing after blessing keep on following me. THANK YOU LORD!!!!

Knowing How Things Work

Well we are home and I think that I'm almost caught up from very busy summer of traveling. Preparing for the fall is well under way. One of the main goals for the next few weeks is to potty train Paige. She is very excited about no pull-ups and her "big girl underwear" Mommy is excited too. Yesterday she was ready to flush the toilet but the water in the tank had not completely fill up from a previous flush. As she pushed the handle down she said with confidence "Mommy this toilet needs new batteries, it's not working" Is that cute or what?

Congratulations Ashley

Today is a exciting day for Ashley. She has finished high school. All the hard work of summer school has paid off and Ashley has graduated from high school and now it is off to college. We are very proud of you sweetheart and we look forward to what the Lord has in store for your future. Enjoy the rest of the summer and Congratulations!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday Cindy

Today is a very special day. It's my dear friend Cindy's birthday. Cindy is the kind of friend that you can call anytime when you need her. Cindy is one of the best moms that I know. Cindy works hard for her family. She loves her husband and her boys. I admire how she has stood by her family through think and thin. Cindy's son has special needs and you would not even know it because she takes such great care of him. Cindy sacrifices her own personal desires for the sake of her family. Cindy is one of the people in my life that by example she has made me a better person because I know her. Happy Birthday Cindy!!!!! We pray that you will have a day as special as you are to so many. We Love You.` (in case you don't know Cindy is the one on the left).

The Last Fling

Well, it has been a very busy summer. The Todd family has been blessed with lots of wonderful opportunity to travel. As of Thursday we will leave for our last trip. We will be heading to Portland Oregon for a week. We will be traveling with Grandma and Grandpa and Uncle Rodney and his family. This will be Paige's first time on a airplane. She is very excited. We are looking to some close family time, and will post pictures when we return. We pray that everyone has a safe and happy week. When we get home we will be getting ready to start school.

Leftovers Can Be Fun

Over the weekend we had ordered Chinese food and as you know you always have too much food. In our household we always have too much rice and usually end up throwing it all out. This week I became convicted about being so wasteful so I decided to make rice pudding and to my shock and surprise it turned out pretty good. So if you have extra rice around the house this is how I did it.




Baked Rice Pudding

2 large eggs
1/2 cup of white sugar
1/4 teaspoons of salt
2 cups of milk
vanilla (optional)
2 cups of cooked rice
1/2 cup of raisins (I prefer the white ones)
Dash of nutmeg
Whipping cream


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and the sugar. Add the scald milk to the mixture. Add the desired amount of vanilla. Add the rice and the raisins. Sprinkle nutmeg over the top and stir. Bake in a 1 1/2 quart baking dish. (*bake in a inch of water). Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Serve warm with whipped cream if desired.

Enjoy!!! This is Yummy.

OK That is Just Gross

Today started off to be a very interesting day. Ashley asked me to take her to get some clothes for the Youth Conference, well by the time we figured out that we only had a day to get this done we were in a hurry. Well, if you have ever gone shopping with two toddlers and a teenage girl you know what a challenge that this can be. So I had a perfect solution. I would pull up to the Christopher&Banks (our favorite store for clothes) the kids and I would sit in the van and Ashley could go in buy herself and try on clothes in peace. All was going well with that plan until it happened. PAIGE HAD A MAJOR MAJOR DIRTY DIAPER. That would have been OK, except we had run out of the house so fast that I had not brought the diaper bag. OK mom think what are we going to do? I went searching through the van looking for anything resembling a baby wipes. Thank goodness I found an extra pull up under the seat of the van. But no baby wipes . How can any mother in her right mind not have a box of baby wipes? Well then it hit me. What are baby wipes, water and wipes. So with a stiff upper lip I graped the only thing that I had (the Febree's spray and napkins from Wendy's). I sprayed and wiped her bottom as best as I could and I wiped as quickly as I could. It was not the ideal baby wipes but it got the job done. We now can call her Febree's baby. OK a mom's got to do what a mom has to do. Needless to say the very first thing we did when we got home was gave Paige a bath. Now that is just gross.

This and That

Well it has been another busy week at the Todd household. My son had a wonderful time at camp this week. He learned to box (with full head gear), he learned that he can stay away from home for short periods of time with out dying, and he thinks he now knows where he is going to college. All in all the week was a great experience for both mom and Quin. Sunday after church Quin and his dad will be leaving for the Todd family camping trip. This is neat because Grandpa Todd and all three of the adult Todd boys and their sons get together once a year for a weeks vacation. They go camping or fishing or both and every year the location is different. This year they will be in Indiana.

It seem every time that my husband goes out of town something breaks down. Well he is leaving tomorrow and my kitchen sink is broken. I sort of need water in the kitchen sink. So my dear poor husband as I am blogging he is replacing the kitchen faucet. I'm excited about having a new one it has been broken for quite a while. I'm also thankful for such a good husband who wants to make sure that I have everything that I need before he goes on his trip. I think just the girls are going to get away for one night while that boys are gone. We have had a busy week and a busy summer. We hope all is going well for everyone. Ta Ta for now

Happy 4th of July

I hope everyone has a safe and Happy 4th of July. As we celabrate our county's birthday we need to remember the men and woman who sacrificed their lives for the freedom we enjoy. So much more we need to remember the sacrifice our Lord Jesus Christ gave for us when He died for us on the old rugged cross. Thank Lord for all you have done for me. Thank America for all you have done for me. Happy Birthday America. God Bless the U.S.A.

Good Friends are Hard to Come By

Last night I had to privilege of having dinner with a good friend. We were able to try a new Mexican restaurant in the area. We had a BLAST. We laughed, we talked, and we cried. Cindy you are the BEST. It was a blessing to spend special time with you. You will never know what a help you have been to me in soooooo many ways. I love you guys. Thanks for every you do and everything you are. It was a good day when the Lord brought you in to our lives. Thank You Lord for good friends.

Happy Birthday Keith

Today is Keith's birthday. Last night we had a few neighbors over for a steak dinner to honor Keith's birthday. We are thankful to have good neighbors and Christian friends. Ashley had a blast preparing a dinner for her dad complete with chocolate cake. Happy Birthday Keith. We hope you have a great day.

My Wonderful Weekend

I had a wonderful weekend in Mystic Connecticut. The weather was perfect and to food was awesome. We went to the sea side beaches and looked at expensive houses. The fresh lobster was wonderful and all the sea food was easy to come by. I loved visiting the history of the seaport and looking at the historic homes. I'm very thankful I had the chance to go. Enjoy the beautiful pictures.

My Trip to Mystic

Fun weekend plans

Well it's five in the morning and I am headed for the airport. I'm very excited. I am spending the weekend with a very dear friend of mine in Mystic, Connecticut. Tina and I have been friends since the seventh grade. I will return on Monday evening and will post lots of pictures. Have a great weekend.

More Birthday Fun

Ashley's Birthday Party

Happy Birthday Ashley

Today is a very special day. Ashley Jane is turning 18. The Todd family is excited about our new neighbor and friend. We can't wait until Friday night. We are having a sleep over for the teen girls. It is going to be so much fun. We plan to do "make overs" , eat lots of pizza, and have a bond fire complete with smores. Ashley, this is your first birthday party as a child of God. We are so proud of what the Lord is doing in your life. It is my prayer that this is your best birthday ever. Happy Birthday Sweetheart. We Love you.

Someone You Should Know

Today is a special day. Today is MY Pastor's wife birthday. Today is the day that Mrs. Julie Fink will celebrate her birthday. I can't begin to tell you all the things that this dear lady means to me. This is the person that no matter what is going on in her life she is always there to encourage me. Mrs. Fink always has a kind word to say about everyone. She always see the good in everyone and in every situation. Mrs Fink is the perfect example of someone who works through all the problems that live gives her (the little ones and the big ones). Mrs. Fink is a GOOD Godly wife to MY Pastor. I have been saved all of my adult life and most of my childhood. I personally believe that one of the reasons that our church is so blessed of the Lord is because of this dear lady and the support that she gives her wonderful husband. Mrs Fink is a GOOD mother. She has two beautiful girls and loves spending time with them and encouraging them as only a mother can do. Mrs. Fink is a good grandmother, if you have never watched her with that sweet little Conner you have missed a real blessing. Julie Fink is all these things but most important to me is the way my life has changed because I have gotten to know her. I have watched her example and I have learned so much about how to be the wife and mother that God has called me to be. Julie I THANK YOU so much for all you have done for me and I LOVE you very much. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!! P.S. As I was thinking about blessing you this year, one of your favorite places to shop has now become my favorite too. Sorry I might just have to steal that idea too. I guess that is OK, a lot of little girls want to be like her hero. I Love You Julie. Happy Birthday!!!!!

Another GREAT Night with Friends

Last night we had the privilege of going out to dinner with some really great friends. With my mom being busy and Ashley being sick we did not get a chance to go out to eat to celebrate our anniversary over the weekend. (good babysitters are hard to come by). So last night our wonderful friends Bob and Cindy took us to Moretti's in Schaumburg. Bob and Cindy are so much fun. The food was great, the squid was big and the coconut onion rings were the best. One of my favorite things to do is go to new restaurants and with our friends it's even better. Thanks Bob and Cindy we love you. Another BIG blessing is that this year my husband and Bob have put in a HUGE garden together. Get ready GBC for lot of awesome produce this summer. Life is good and good friends make it even better.

20 Years!!!!!!!!!

This morning at 5:00am my wonderful husband woke me up with a sweet kiss on the cheek. As of today we have been married 20 wonderful years. In his hand he had a little white box. As all girls know, good things come in small packages. He gave me a beautiful necklace and matching ring. I just LOVE it. Thank You Honey for the beautiful jewelry and for 20 wonderful years of marriage. I LOVE YOU. P.S. He is getting his favorite thing. (a Bass Pro Gift Card)

My Favorite Things

I have a list of favorite things that mean a lot to me. Our friend Trish suggested I do this so here it is:

*spending time in my KJV Bible.
*writing in my prayer journal (going back and seeing answered prayer)
*Hand woven baskets (all over the house)
* hot chocolate on a cold night
* our fireplace on a cold night
* good smelling candles
* body sprays and lotions
*bond fires at the neighbors
*cuddling with my kids
* serving in my local church
*English muffins with peanut butter
*long hot bubble baths
*Shaklee skin care
* my new Bible bag that I take to church
* pretty note cards
*warm blankets
*my ladies Sunday School class
* the ladies ministry at my local church
* homeschooling my children
*snuggles with my husband
*My blog
* getting my nails done with Ashley
* coloring and doing play dough with Paige
* reading Millers books with Quin
* eating out ALONE with Sam
* being used of God to help someone that is hurting
* a fresh clean house (even if it only last 10 Minutes)
* spending time with close friends
* Christmas time

Wow!!!!! All this add up to a great life. I love the Lord and I love my family. I love my church and I am truly BLESSED!!!!!

There is Nothing Like Being Mom

It has been quite a week!!!! I am finished getting ready of another Sunday. I can't wait to see what the Lord has for me this week. As I sit back and reflect on all that this week has given me to do, all I can do is sit back and reflect on how blessed I am. We have had trips to the hospital, and admissions to the nursing home, a sick teenager to help, older people needing help getting medications. We have had sleepless nights and farewell wishes. We have had people graduate and others wishing that they could. We have had skinned knees and bruised elbows. Most importantly we have had the best week to grow closer to the Lord and the chance to sit back and enjoy all the wonderful opportunity to show the LOVE of Christ. We as a family have had the chance to have a ministry this week that was not found in church but found in the inner heart of Christ. The laundry is piling up and the dishes need attention and their are a lot of toys on the floor but tonight I go to bed over joyed that the Lord has blessed us with the LOVE that we have needed to be displayed for HIS glory. Thank You Lord for filling my heart with just what I needed to get through this busy week. As I prepare for the Lord's Day I am truly blessed.

A Great Day at the Races

On Sunday we had a great day at the races. It was a lot of fun and a great success. A big thank you to all who worked to make it successful. Mrs. Evans did a great job on the food and Mr. Lindahl did a great job on the track. Thank you to everyone who participated and made it a great day. Enjoy the pictures!!!!

A Day at the Races

So much Fun at The Teen Rally

I am so excited. For the first time, I had the honor and privilege of serving at the teen rally. IT WAS A BLAST. The Lord has given me a new love for teenagers. This used to be a group of people that was very intimidating for me. The Lord is working on a lot of things in my life and one of them is that He is developing in me a LOVE for teenagers. The Lord has changed a lot of things around here on a daily basis. If someone would have told me a year ago that I would have any teens in my home on a regular basis I'm not sure that I would have believed them. I now have very special teens over all the time. I have really enjoyed having the teens girls at our church over and I can't wait until June because we are having a sleep over with all teen girls. I had a blast serving at the teen rally and I want to serve next year as well. There were four people saved and I know many decisions were made for the Lord today. Miss Debby you are great at hospitality and thank you so much for allowing me to help you. I HAD A BLAST!!!!! See you at the teen rally next year. Oh in case your wondering the theme was Building for the Future that is why all the hard hats and yellow vest ect. Enjoy the pictures (next post).

Teen Rally 2008