Kris's Korner

Happy Birthday Rachel

2009-10-27T23:20:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to say Happy Happy Birthday Rachel. Rachel is the kind of friend that someone can depend on. WHENEVER I need help with my kids, Rachel is always there. Rachel is an example of a biblical wife and mother, always putting her family first and never faultering in the discipline of her children. Rachels home is a fun place for all children. She works very hard at serving the Lord at the Grace Baptist Church. I would have to say I want to be just like Rachel when I grow up. Happy Birthday Hon! I hope your day is as sweet as you are!!!

Heather's Wedding

2009-08-22T18:18:00.002-04:00

Today was a very special day. Heather LeeAnn Todd was married. The day was beautiful and the weather as perfect. It is such a blessing to see two young kids just starting out in life. They both are born again Christians and want to serve the Lord with their lives and their marriage. What a blessing to see the purity and beauty in Heather's face. Congratulations Heather I know your parents are very proud of you and so is Uncle Sam and Aunt Kris.

Happy Birthday Cindy

2009-07-30T17:32:00.004-04:00

Today is a special day for a very sweet lady in my life. My dear sweet friend Cindy. If Cindy was a friend of yours you would realize as I have, just what a good friend that she really has become. Cindy is the kind of person if you need something and she is able to help you she will. This morning was a perfect example, I needed a driver because I had to have a tooth pulled, even though it was Cindy's birthday that did not stop her from getting up early coming to pick me up and take me to the doctor. Cindy is the perfect example of what a Christian woman should look like. Cindy is always ready to cook a meal for someone that is sick, Cindy has been known to clean houses for people who can not clean for themselves. Cindy is always ready to listen when someone just needs to talk. I have never heard Cindy gossip or backbite. Cindy always finds something good to say about everyone. If you have ever been to Cindy's house you know how beautiful she has it decorated and it is always clean. I don't know anyone that doesn't like to visit Cindy's. Cindy always puts her family first, she has two teenage boys and if that is not enough, one of the boys has special needs. In our house we LOVE Zack and that is because of the way his mom has loved and trained him to live to his fullest. On top of all this Cindy assists her husband in his copier business his garden and his social life. Cindy is a good wife to Bob. I could go on all day about how my life has improved since I met Cindy. (if I don't stop I might get in trouble because Cindy is a very humble lady). HAPPY BIRTHDAY CINDY from the Todd family. WE LOVE YOU.

Happy 4th Of July

2009-07-04T10:19:00.002-04:00

I want to take this opportunity to say, Happy 4th of July to everyone. I am very thankful for America and all the freedom that we have because of this great country. Many men have lost their lives for that freedom. We have so many wonderful blessing in our lives. The freedom to do what God has called us to do. The freedom to worship God freely. The freedom to own land and maintain a home, have our own businesses, and the freedom to raise our family the way we choose. We have the freedom to read God's word openly. The freedom to pray openly and the freedom to attend a good Bible believing church. I could go on all day about the many blessing and freedom that we have. Thank You Lord for America and the freedoms that she brings.

Happy Birthday Ashley

2009-06-10T22:34:00.002-04:00

Today is a special day. Ashley is 19 years old. Ashley we are so proud of you. My dear friend Ashley as completed her first year of Bible College. She is a great soul winner and on fire for the Lord. Tonight we had T-bone steaks and bake potatoes with all the fix ins. We finished dinner with a wonderful chocolate cake. We had Keith, Ed, Tony, Grandma Edith and our family. After dinner we all headed to church. We have a sweet little tradition at our church. If your birthday falls on a Wednesday or a Sunday everyone in church gives the birthday girl a dollar. We were very thankful that Ashley's birthday was on Wednesday. Now we are going camping. We will be gone until Sunday in God's great nature. This is not anything that I have ever done before. If you think of me say a little prayer. God will go before us. It should very interesting to see how this turns out. Thank You for your prayers. I feel very honored to be asked to do this with my special birthday girl. We love you Ashley Jane. Happy Birthday Honey

Breakfast In Bed

2009-05-23T10:34:00.002-04:00

I had the sweetest morning of all time. Daddy has been working so much and I have been a little extra tired these days. I happen to ask my son Quin if he would like to attempt to make coffee. He go so excited and said "Mom can I make you breakfast in bed?" I of course said sure (who wouldn't). This morning my nine year old made coffee, a bagel with cream cheese and a slice of banana bread. Don't forget the strawberries and grapes on the side. I was so touched by his kindness and he was so excited to be doing this for me. Then he said "Mom consider this a late Mother's Day gift. Isn't he sweet. I love you Quinten!!! Thank You.

This is Cute

2009-04-30T13:34:00.002-04:00

Today in History we were talking about World War II and Adolph Hitler. The book said "In April 1940, Germany attacked and defeated Norway and Denmark. In May, Germany defeated the three small countries of Belgium, The Netherlands, and Luxembourg. Then Germany invaded France and defeated her." With a very serious look on his face my son said
" Mom did Hitler defeat Peter Pan?" If Hitler came up against Peter Pan who won? "Quin what are you talking about. He thought that the Netherlands was "Never Never Land" It is so cute. I love homeschooling.

A Great Big Thank You

2009-04-28T23:40:00.002-04:00

My little four year old daughter is so blessed. She was given a gift of a life time. Paige has done nothing but play with this sweet little doll house since last Saturday when a wonderful friend from church gave it too us. Paige and I want to thank Karen Groose for her wonderful gift. Some times some one's junk is your treasure. Karen YOUR THE BEST!!! We love you.

This is Sweet

2009-04-14T14:22:00.002-04:00

Today at lunch my heart was so filled with overwhelming love. Justin the little guy that I take care of Tuesdays and Thursdays asked Christ to be his personal Savior. My son Quinten lead him to the Lord. Quin did a great job with the Romans Road and Justin is the first person that Quin has been able to take through the entire process. Justin is 5 years old and fully understands what happened. It was so cute after Quin was all done Justin said, "Quin I just have one question? Does Jesus have a dog in heaven?" Justin has always wanted a dog and he needed to know if heaven had a dog if that was where he was going to spend forever. Justin so sweetly got saved. I'm very thankful for a husband and a church that taught my son to be a soul winner. Praise the Lord!!!

A Night of Family Fun

2009-04-13T23:57:00.002-04:00

Today was just one of those days where everything went wrong. At 5:30am we lost power in the house and my poor husband had to take his morning shower at work. And school was not as successful as I had hoped. It just seemed like every thing that happened all day long was going wrong. I had a doctors appointment, which is never fun and we had family situations that needed to be handled. But the Lord gave our family a special blessing, we had a opportunity to go to a Harlem Globetrotters basketball game and it was so much fun. I love how the Lord always has a way of giving us just what we need on the not so perfect days. Today had a lot of "little" things go wrong, but a lot of good things happened too. This little basketball game was one of the blessing of the day. We went with the marvelous Bob and Cindy. Zack and the children get along really good and Bob and Cindy are wonderful people to spent time with. On the way home we listened to good Christian music and I was reminded weather we are having a good or a bad day, the Lord is in charge of both. The day did not start out so good. However it ended good with good friends and good Christian music. My Pastor always says "It's not how you start, it's how you finish." Well today I finished well. Thanks Bob and Cindy and thank you Lord.

Surprise Surprise!!!!!

2009-03-28T11:15:00.004-04:00

Last night was so much fun. I had the privilege of surprising Ashley at school. This is not a easy task to do. I don't keep exciting secrets very well and she tends to find things out. But last night with the help of her room mates we pulled it off. Ashley gave her testimony at RU for the first time in public. She did a great job. She was very nervous and she thought she was going to be there all alone. At the last minute I showed up at the college and was there to support her. She was very relived and many people were very blessed. I thank the Lord for my wonderful husband who stayed with the kids so I could do this. I'm also thankful that the Lord has given me the opportunity to be a blessing in this young ladies life. Ashley is almost finished with her freshman year in Christian college. We are very proud of all the things the Lord has done in her life. We are thankful for our wonderful Pastor and his wife who took the time to encourage her to go to Christian college. I look forward to spending time with her this summer.

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UPDATES

We at the Todd household have been very busy and have found very little time for blogging. School has kept us on our toes and Paige is FINALLY potty trained YEA. Paige is excited about being in Jr. church and Kings Kids at church and she is growing up so fast. Mr. Todd has worked a 65 hour week for the past six weeks and mommy and the kids are hanging in there with out him. We are very thankful that the Lord is taking care of our family in these hard times for so many others. We are looking forward to next weekend. Mr. Todd's ENTIRE is going to Indiana to celebrate Mr. and Mrs. Todd's 50th wedding anniversary. I have mixed emotions about leaving for the weekend. We are all looking forward to this big celebration. But I am going to miss the Ladies Conference and Family day at our church. This is the only weekend everyone else on the family had available. On Easter Sunday Paige turns 4 years old. WOW it seems like yesterday we brought her home form the hospital. So many things have happened since my last post I feel like I could be typing all day but there is so much to get done today I better sign off. May the Lord bless each and everyone of you who take the time to read about the happening around here.

We Are So Excited

2009-02-28T19:19:00.002-05:00

The Todd family is very thankful and excited. Jon and Ashley Lindahl are moving and my kids have inherited a beautiful bunk bed. Everyone is jumping for joy. My son has wanted a bunk bed since he was little. He has finally gotten his heart's prayer answered. Of course Quin wants his sister to move into his room and he wants the top bunk. Paige also wants to sleep in Quin's room now and she wants the bottom. I guess that will work out ok for a while. We are excited about our new bed and we are also excited because the Lindahl's are moving to Plainfield! New neighbors (in the same town anyway) and new beds. What a fun weekend!!!!!

Ladies Missionary Society

2009-02-18T00:00:00.003-05:00

Tonight was our Ladies Missionary Society meeting. I had the privilege of hosting it in our home. The purpose of this meeting is to introduce the ladies to the missionaries and to give them a chance to pray for them together. We also prayed for the needs of the church and the church staff. We prayed for some of the church senior saint and shut-ins too. This was such a neat meeting. We had faithful seasoned Christians, and young adults that were baby Christians that were not even sure what a missionary was. It was such a blessing to see the baby Christians pray out loud for the first time. Seeing new Christians grow in the Lord is one of the most exciting things in the world to me. I was very blessed to see how excited everyone was and I look forward the next meeting. Serving the Lord is so much fun!

Ashley's Volleyball Skirt

2009-02-11T22:43:00.004-05:00

Ashley has been so excited because she has gone out for volleyball. But we have had the hardest time finding her culottes for her to play in. What we were looking for was a skirt with shorts (built in) so that when she dives for the ball she is modest. This has been a real challenge. I asked several ladies at church to make them for us and no one has had the time. After lots of energy I finally found a lady on line that can make them. I was delighted. The problem was they were way to short. When we ordered them we gave the on-line person the wrong measurements. I was very frustrated. AND THEN my DEAR friend Rachel came to my rescue. I want to take this chance to tell everyone how wonderful Rachel is to me. She is such a sweet friend. She took the culottes that I ordered on-line and just looked at them and she was able to make Ashley a beautiful pair of culottes. Thank You so much for all you have done for us. YOUR THE BEST !!!! I just thank the Lord for good friends and a church family that is there for me when I need them. Oh by the way, if Ashley would have wanted me to do any sewing she would have been embarrassed by the results. WE LOVE YOU RACHEL!!!!!!!!!

Laundry

2009-02-04T10:33:00.003-05:00

It has been quite a week at the Todd household. There is always a lot to be done. This morning I woke up to many loads of laundry. Sometimes this can be overwhelming at least to me. Laundry is not my favorite household chore but of course it needs to be done. I made the comment to my children that today was going to be the day that we get the laundry caught up. My daughter is so cute, she is only three, Paige says "Mommy I can help you with the laundry" And that is exactly what she did. Paige took all the clothes out of the dryer, helped me put the wet clothes in the dryer and then handed me the next sorted load. Now I think that we should teacher her to fold and put it all away.

Quinten is very excited about his Science Fair project. School is going well and we are going to a Home School art class at the library once a month. Quin goes to an art class and Paige goes to story time during that time it is working out well. That is all the time I have for today. I'm thankful for a blessed full life. Hope all is going well for all of you.

Please Pray

2009-01-30T08:21:00.004-05:00

Last night I received a call from my dear friend Ashley. She asked me to earnestly pray and to have all the prayer chain ladies pray. I thought I would ask all of you to pray as well for the Ben Anglea Family. Ben and his wife and two children (4&2 years old) are missionaries to Madagascar. They have been advised to leave the county and their lives have been threaten by the government there. There have been bombings and coffee shops blown up by hand grenades ect. We as Christians have been asked to pray for Ben and his family and their safety. As well as comfort for his (Ben's) parents here in the states. Pray that they will not be separated as a family and that they will be able to flee the country soon. The Bible says that the fervent prayer of a righteous man availth much. Please join me in prayer. Thank You

Grandpa's Are Wonderful

2009-01-24T11:21:00.003-05:00

Today we are thankful for our Grandpa Bruce. Grandpa is a very important man around our house. Lately we have had the privilege to spend a little extra time with grandpa. Last Saturday Quin was able to go the Science Expo at Fermi Lab. There they had the all famous "Mr Freeze". He brakes roses in thin air using liquid nitrogen. We all love "Mr. Freeze". The science expo is lots of hands on activities and lots of science fun.

Today grandpa is taking all the grand kids that are old enough, to a Children's Concert at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra downtown Chicago at Orchestra Hall. He will be having a special lunch and a wonderful time with his grand kids. We are so thankful to Grandpa for all he has done for our children. We are so blessed that he takes the time to be involved in our children's lives. A little culture and exposer to the Arts never hurt anybody. Grandpa came over for bacon and pancakes this morning and read library book to Paige and then he and Quin left for the city. I thank the Lord for good grandparents for my children. I thank God for family and the love that they give on a daily basis. Praise the Lord for grandpa.

It Does Matter

2009-01-21T09:16:00.002-05:00

The Lord has really been working on me this week, about the way I do things in my household. On Monday night we had a home school meeting and Preacher gave a lesson on the sorer and the seed. (Luke 7) In this parable the sower is responsible for the results of the seed. Preacher gave us the lesson of how we as home schoolers need to strive for the excellent ground for our children. There are so many little things that we are changing in our home school to strive for excellence this week. I have changed the way I pray for my children and the actions are beginning to change as well. Thank You so much Pastor Fink for that wonderful eye opening lesson.

Yesterday we watched the inauguration of our new president. I could not believe how much I was being watched. During prayer when I bowed my head, Quin bowed his head. When I clapped for different things, Quin would watch me and he would clap as well. When I stood up, Quin would stand up. You ask me what is the big deal about a son imitating his mother? Well it about the influence that God has given me in these little lives and the awesome responsibility to guide and teach them in the ways of the Lord. When I think about what God has called me to do I am humbled and overwhelmed with accountability. Ladies, it's not just taking care of our families(all though that is important) it's a responsibility to train and have a Godly positive influence on them. I thank the Lord that He has given me the responsibility and the privilege to stay home with my kids. I'm also thankful I can home school. I know there are days when I wonder if we have made the right decision to home school. But, I do know that this is what God has called me to do and I'm thankful for it.

WOW! This is Hard to Believe

2009-01-16T11:21:00.002-05:00

Matthew L. Rzepka, CPA, CFP®; Managing Partner / Owner
"...At the local Sam’s Club, my wife purchased a 4 pack, shrink wrapped, of "The Works" toilet bowl cleaner. On the way home, in the back of our van, it tipped over, and some leaked out (about half a bottle) on the seat and the carpet because of a hole in the top of one of the bottles. The seat, the carpet and the underlying steel were all damaged. The final resolution: our insurance company totaled the van, because of the spill!
According to the insurance company and poison control, the fumes from the toilet bowl cleaner made the interior environment of the van permanently unsafe for anyone, especially young children, so we wouldn’t be able to drive the van any more. The fumes also corroded any exposed metal in the van and poison control warned over time would ruin most if not all electrical connections. After the van was cleaned and repaired to the fullest extent possible, it was still determined that eventually, the residual fumes would continue to have a chemical reaction and deteriorate anything left in the van, leaving the van completely useless and unsafe, hence the insurance companies decision to total the vehicle was made."

Now ask yourself, if the van was totaled because of the "fumes" why in the world are people cleaning their bathrooms with it weekly and breathing the fumes daily?
Because they don't know the truth.....now you do....get the word out. I'm thankful that I use green cleaners.

Happy Birthday Sam

2009-01-13T14:08:00.004-05:00

Today is my wonderful husband's birthday. I am so blessed to have this wonderful man as my husband. He is a hard worker and a GREAT dad. His spiritual gift is peacemaking which has comes in handy on more than one occasion. Sam is always quick to see the best in everyone. He never says anything negative about any thing, no matter how bad it gets. He works very hard at this job and enables me to stay home with my children and I am very thankful for that as well. I believe that my husband loves my with a Biblical love. He will do just about anything that you ask him at any time. I can't count the amount of times he has put someone elses needs over his own. I have failed my husband so many times and he just keeps on forgiving me the Bible way. I don't know where I would be without this wonderful man. I LOVE You very much Sam. Happy Birthday Honey.

We Live in a Zoo

2009-01-12T11:17:00.003-05:00

My kids minds never cease to amaze me. This morning when we got up for breakfast my son decided they were going to take all the stuffed animals in the house and make a zoo. Now this is not a ordinary zoo it was complete. He got on my cell phone and pretended to call all different countries and ordered animals. He called Africa to order elephants and giraffe. We then called Antarctica and asked for penguins, seals and walrus. Australia for kangaroos. We had nine different countries and every animal came for the correct county. We then stated that we needed to ask the state of Illinois to help us fund the zoo. I suggested that the zoo needed insurance in case a animal got out of control. We than had to deiced how much we were going to charge for admission. (It was $5.00) We needed cages and food for all the animals. We needed to interview and hire zoo keepers and maintenance men and security guards. I then asked my son to take out the garbage and he returned with a notice the the animal were beginning to arrive and informed his sister to start cleaning lion cages. We hung up signs giving people directions on how to get to the zoo. We stocked the concession stands with hot dogs and popcorn. The last thing my son said to me before we started school this morning was "OK mom call the radio and tell them to tell everyone about the zoo. We will give them free passes to give away. Also call Pastor Fink and tell him his family can have life times passes. His grandparents and family were given passes as well. I think that is so cute. What a imagination. I love home schooling and I love my kids.

A Busy Weekend

2009-01-09T21:52:00.003-05:00

The Todd family has a very busy weekend. Tuesday is my husband's birthday so his family is coming over for dinner on Saturday night, dinner for thirteen is a lot of fun. Tonight we are cleaning the house and getting ready to plan dinner. There is also cooking to do and gifts to wrap. The kids are so excited and FUN is in the air. We also have packing to do and lots of laundry. Ashley is going back to Providence for her second semester in Bible college (we are so proud of her). I will post more as the week end progresses. We are also excited because my SECOND favorite preacher is coming to church this weekend. We love pastor Fink but we really like pastor Gray too. A busy weekend a head and a whole lot of FUN.

Kids Are Amazing

2009-01-07T10:36:00.002-05:00

This morning durning school my son was singing a Patch the Pirate song in math class. I of course, being the teacher told him to get his work done. I said that if he knew his times tables as well as he did the music he would be a lot better off. His answer to my comment was a riot. Quinten proceed to say "Mom this is how it works, Your mind is like a computer when the hard drive gets to full you have to delete some information when I got my new CD I had to delete some of my times tables. That is a riot!

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T17:15:00.003-05:00

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

2008-12-22T12:56:00.002-05:00

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

2008-12-16T06:55:00.002-05:00

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

2008-12-06T08:46:00.002-05:00

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

2008-11-29T12:21:00.002-05:00

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

2008-11-22T13:36:00.003-05:00

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

2008-11-15T21:07:00.004-05:00

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

2008-11-08T10:50:00.003-05:00

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

2008-11-04T08:23:00.007-05:00

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

2008-10-22T23:21:00.003-04:00

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

2008-10-18T23:01:00.003-04:00

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

2008-10-11T10:40:00.004-04:00

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.

_____________________________________________________________________

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

2008-10-06T14:04:00.004-04:00

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

2008-09-30T14:08:00.003-04:00

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

2008-09-29T15:27:00.006-04:00

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

2008-09-26T22:14:00.003-04:00

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

2008-09-22T23:08:00.002-04:00

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

2008-09-20T11:46:00.002-04:00

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

2008-09-19T13:48:00.002-04:00

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

2008-09-18T11:56:00.002-04:00

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

2008-09-11T08:25:00.002-04:00

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

2008-09-05T10:58:00.002-04:00

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

2008-09-03T16:59:00.005-04:00

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

2008-09-02T22:25:00.002-04:00

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

2008-09-01T22:38:00.002-04:00

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

2008-08-28T16:04:00.003-04:00

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

2008-08-23T09:08:00.002-04:00

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

2008-08-19T09:33:00.003-04:00

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

2008-08-12T08:19:00.002-04:00

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

2008-07-30T09:40:00.002-04:00

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

2008-07-30T09:25:00.003-04:00

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

2008-07-29T17:04:00.003-04:00

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

2008-07-23T08:31:00.003-04:00

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

2008-07-16T23:12:00.002-04:00

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

2008-07-12T22:33:00.002-04:00

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

2008-07-04T13:05:00.002-04:00

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

2008-07-02T09:39:00.002-04:00

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

2008-07-01T08:25:00.002-04:00

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

2008-06-24T12:02:00.002-04:00

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

2008-06-24T11:59:00.001-04:00

Fun weekend plans

2008-06-20T06:16:00.003-04:00

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

2008-06-15T16:19:00.001-04:00

Ashley's Birthday Party

2008-06-14T21:33:00.001-04:00

Happy Birthday Ashley

2008-06-10T09:15:00.004-04:00

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

2008-06-04T08:38:00.002-04:00

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

2008-05-30T09:48:00.003-04:00

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!!!!!!!!!

2008-05-28T07:15:00.003-04:00

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

2008-05-27T08:52:00.004-04:00

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

2008-05-24T23:49:00.003-04:00

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

2008-05-20T09:04:00.002-04:00

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

2008-05-20T09:02:00.001-04:00

So much Fun at The Teen Rally

2008-05-17T22:51:00.004-04:00

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

2008-05-17T22:51:00.001-04:00

Happy Mother's Day

2008-05-11T17:22:00.002-04:00

Happy Mother's Day to everyone. I pray that you will enjoy your mom and enjoy being a mom. Happy Mother's Day to all the moms and daughter every where. Have a great weekend.

We Are A Blessed Family

2008-05-10T22:14:00.007-04:00

Well as you might have guessed by now, our extended family has just expanded. (scroll down for pictures). Today was Steve and Rhonda Spencer's Wedding day. It was a beautiful day and I cried and cried. Sam's baby sister has a new family. Steve's first wife passed away and this afternoon Steve and Rhonda became husband and wife. It was so sweet, Rhonda has waited a long time for the Lord to bless her with a husband and today all her prayers were answered. It was a blessing to watch her get married after so many years of praying and waiting. Not only has Steve gained a wife but Mark, Becca, and Matt have gained a mother. The kids were so cute. Paige was the flower girl and Quinten and Matt were the ring bearers. All of Rhonda's attendants were her nieces and nephews. Everyone was so excited and so beautiful. Paige was so tired that she feel asleep on daddy's shoulder. Thank You Lord for a beautiful day and the picture of purity this wedding displayed. Rhonda is a perfect example of a woman who is determined to live in God's will and she is going to make an excellent wife and a great mother. The entire family is so blessed by her example and testimony. Congratulations Rhonda!!!!! We all love you very much. (Steve and the kids we love you too!!).

More Wedding Pictures

2008-05-10T22:14:00.001-04:00

Rhonda Beautiful Wedding

2008-05-10T22:02:00.001-04:00

Getting Ready is Fun

2008-05-09T08:35:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was so much fun. We took Paige to the salon to get her nails done. She is ALL ALL girl and I as her mother could not be happier about that fact. First we picked her color (of course pink). We then had her nails professionally painted with a sweet little flower on each thumb. Paige had so much fun and she looked so big sitting up in the chair having her nails done. We have a FULL busy day. Daddy is off work today and the rehearsal dinner is at 4:00pm. We have lots of family in from out of town and lots of friends from the past. The excitement is building as the wedding is tomorrow. With all that needs to be done and with Mother's Day on Sunday we are looking forward to a very FUN and busy weekend. THANK YOU LORD for my beautiful little girl. Thank You for all the fun I have had dressing her up and encouraging her femininity. I am TRULY a blessed mommy.

Face Lift for the Blog

2008-05-06T08:56:00.002-04:00

I want to Thank Michelle at Shabby Creations for the "spring cleaning" of the old blog. I just love the new look. If you new to spice up your blog check it out. She did a great job and it's very simple to do. you just tell her what you want and she it GREAT. You can e-mail her at bellablog@shabbycreations.com or you can visit her web site at the bottom of my blog. Give it a try she is good at what she does. Thank You Michelle.

Camp Joy

2008-05-06T08:46:00.002-04:00

Once again I was blessed by being able to attend Camp Joy this year. It was an encouragement to see all the new people go with us. Everyone said that they had a great time. The food the fun and the fellowship were as good as they could be. If you missed it plan to go on the retreat next year. The time away and the trip it's self is the best. I want to personally thank Miss Debby for all her work to organize and plan the details. We love you and willingness to serve. Thank You.

Camp Joy

2008-05-06T08:45:00.001-04:00

A Very Good Lady

2008-04-30T14:12:00.002-04:00

I had a very sweet act of kindness done for me this morning. About five weeks ago I went to the Shoe Carnival in Woodridge and I found the shoes I needed to go with the dress for the up coming wedding. The problem at that time was that they didn't have the shoes I needed in the size that I needed. (It is not easy to find navy blue shoes anywhere right now). At that time I ordered my correct size from the Orland Park store to be sent to the Joilet store. It had been several weeks and I still didn't hear about the shoes making it to the Joliet store. This morning I called and was told that no one knew anything about the order. The manager at the Joilet store called the Woodridge store and found out that the Orland manger never sent the shoes in the first place. Then without being asked Lindsey (from the Woodridge) called and said that she will be visiting her sister in Indiana and would go to pick up my shoes and would drive them to Joilet herself. I was overwhelmed with her kindness and I will be getting her a small gift card and a salvation tract and I will deliver to her next week. Pray that the tract will have an impact on her life. You never know what the Lord has planned, but I do know that Lindsey saved the day for me and I'm very thankful for her kindness.

Blessing After Blessing

2008-04-30T08:38:00.002-04:00

As May apporches there are so many are so exciting things are happening.

1. Yea Yea Yea we have finished handwriting and language in our home school. We have 30 lessons in Math and we are finished with school for the year.

2. This week end is the ladies retreat and I am looking forward to the fellowship and the blessings of the meetings and of course getting away.

3. Next weekend is filled with Steve and Rhonda's wedding. It will be wonderful time with family new and old.

4. At the end of the month my husband and I will celebrate 20 years married. I can't believe we have been married 20 years. Time flies when your having fun.

We are looking forward to May. Spring flowers, exciting weekends, Mother's Day, Weddings and Anniversary's All add up to a Busy Blessed Life. Thank You Lord for it ALL.

Yummy, Yummy, Yummy

2008-04-25T09:27:00.003-04:00

Last night we had the honer and privilege of going out to dinner with Barter Bob. If you have never had the experience of being with Bob and Cindy out to dinner you should invite them out. They are soooooo much FUN. The restaurant that they choose is awesome. It was Adelle's and it was good. We had many Chef specials and everything was unique and yummy. I can't decide which part of the dinner I liked better. Maybe it was the bacon wrapped scallions or the wonderful bread. Maybe it was the banana sorbet. But I do know for sure it was the good company. Thank You Bob and Cindy it was great.

On a different note. I would ask that you pray for the church my husband grew up in. Sometimes thing happen to people that help them grow in the Lord. But it can be very painful in the process. If you think about it, I'm sure everyone involved would appreciate it.

Today is going to be a exciting day for my children. Our new cousins are coming to play for the day. Quin is so excited. With a up coming wedding and the new cousins we are looking forward to getting to know them better. Of course we have a full weekend a head. Everyone have a great weekend.

Memories are Always Sweet

2008-04-23T15:15:00.002-04:00

This is a very sweet e-mail. It reminds me of my own bus route and makes me miss the days of bus kids. Praise the Lord for Bus Routes

Collection Plate

Here is a true story about a nine year old boy who lived in a rural town in Tennessee. His house was in a poor area of the community. A church had a bus ministry that came knocking on his door one afternoon.
The boy came to answer the door and greeted the bus pastor. The bus pastor asked if his parents were home and the small boy told him that his parents take off every weekend and leave him at home to take care of his little brother.The bus pastor couldn't believe what the boy said and asked him to repeat it.The youngster gave the same answer and the bus pastor asked to come in and talk with him. They went into the living room and sat down on an old couch with the foam and springs exposed.The bus pastor asked the boy, "Where do you go to church? The young boy surprised the visitor by replying, "I've never been to church in my whole life."The bus pastor thought to himself about the fact that his church was less than three miles from the child's house. "Are you sure you have never been to church?" he asked again."I sure haven't", came his answer.Then the bus pastor said, "Wel l l, son, more important than going to church, have you ever heard the greatest love story ever told?" and then he proceeded to share the Gospel with this little nine year old boy. The young lad's heart began to be tenderized and at the end of the bus pastor's story the bus pastor asked if the boy wanted to receive this free gift from God.The youngster exclaimed, "You bet!"The boy and the bus pastor got on their knees and the lad invited Jesus into his little heart and received the free gift of salvation. They both stood up and the bus pastor asked if he could pick the kid up for church the next morning."Sure," the nine old replied.The bus pastor got to the house early the next morning and found the lights off. He let himself in and snaked his way through the house and found the little boy asleep in his bed. He woke up the little boy and his brother and helped get them dressed. They got on the bus and ate a donut for breakfast on their way t o church.Keep in mind that this boy had never been to church before. The church was a real big one. The little boy just sat there, clueless of what was going on. A few minutes into the service these tall unhappy guys walked down to the front and picked up some wooden plates. One of the men prayed and the boy with utter fascination watched them walk up and down the aisles.He still didn't know what was going on. All of a sudden like a bolt of lightning it hit the boy what was taking place. These people must be giving money to Jesus. He then reflected on the free gift of life he had received just twenty-four hours earlier. He immediately searched his pockets, front and back, and couldn't find a thing to give Jesus.By this time the offering plate was being passed down his aisle and with a broken heart he just grabbed the plate and held on to it. He finally let go and watched it pass on down the aisle. He turned around to see it passed down the ais le behind him. And then his eyes remained glued on the plate as it was passed back and forth, back and forth all the way to the rear of the sanctuary. Then he had an idea.This little nine year old boy, in front of God and everybody, got up out of his seat. He walked about eight rows back, grabbed the usher by the coat and asked to hold the plate one more time. Then he did the most astounding thing I have ever heard of.He took the plate, sat it on the carpeted church floor and stepped into the center of it. As he stood there, he lifted his little head up and said, "Jesus, I don't have anything to give you today, but just me. I give you me!"

Old Old Old Old Yes I'm getting old

2008-04-17T18:37:00.003-04:00

Well today one of my biggest fears have come true. AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! I need glasses. I now need glasses for reading. Maybe it's the computer work or maybe it's because I'm over 40 years old. Or maybe the Lord is trying to humble in His own little way. I can't see my Bible as well as I used too. Forget trying to see my cell phone key board. It has been a big month for getting old first I color my hair and now I ordered my reading glasses. Girl friend, as you pray for me please pray I grow old gracefully.

On a better note. I'm thankful to my mother who bought me a chi machine. It's a machine that moves your legs and feet back and forth in a swimming motion. This is designed for lack of blood flow to your feet. and alignment of your back. I have been "passive" exercising and I feel great. You can look at the machine at chimachine.com. I love the fact that I'm exercising and my feet look great. Well, we have a Science Fair project due this weekend and my son needs the computer. Ta Ta for now.

Someone Special to Me

2008-04-14T15:54:00.003-04:00

I just wanted to type a quick post and thank the Lord for a extra special blessing to me. My husband and I have been married 20 years in May of this year. The Lord allowed us to have 11 years of married life without children and then blessed us with two beautiful children. This means that I am older mom with younger children. There are disadvantages and advantages to this way of life. One of the disadvantages is not having teenagers (when most of your friends do). Well the Lord has given my a teenager to love on. Not only can I love on her, but so can my children. We are in love with Ashley. She is our neighbor, and babysitter, and friend. Ashley is just been saved (4 months ago) and the Lord has allowed her to move in with her daddy who lives down the street from us. I have had the privilege of teaching Ashley femininity and Christian womanhood and we are having a blast. I love having an adopted teenager and we all love Ashley. I'm going to cry when she goes to college but I'm very thankful for the time we do have. I now REALLY feel we need to redeem the time. We love you Ashley.

A Big Sunday

2008-04-13T17:51:00.003-04:00

At our local church when you turn three you get to go to Sunday School. So this morning was Paige's first day in Sunday School. Although she looks very scared when this picture was taken she did great and LOVES it. All she has been talking about this afternoon is Sunday School. Mr Mickey and Miss Marylin are the grandma and grandpa type in this sweet little class and all the kids LOVE them. I'm so glad that my little girl enjoyed her very first day in Sunday School. I look forward to many wonderful years ahead for her to learn God's word and to live the Christian life. Thank you to Mr. Mickey and Miss Marylin for all they do for their class. I'm very thankful that Paige likes Sunday School as well.

Happy Birthday Paige

2008-04-13T17:47:00.003-04:00

I can't believe it. Paige is three. We had a "toddler" birthday for Paige yesterday. The four little people that showed up had a blast and it was so fun to watch them play. To my knowledge it was the first "kid" for all involved. Happy Birthday Paige. Mommy and Daddy love you very much.

Happy Birthday Paige

2008-04-13T17:46:00.001-04:00

I Got A New Do

2008-04-11T10:39:00.002-04:00

Well I finally did it!!!!!!!! I got a cut, color, and style. I LOVE it. I can't believe I have a new hair style. I have the same hairstyle since high school and now for the first time I have a new do. I want to thank Sabrina and Julie for all their help and encouragement. On Wednesday I went into Wal-Mart and got the perfect hair cut for me and then Sabrina colored and styled it. If you ever need ideas on your hair Sabrina is great. Thank You so much to both of the wonderful ladies who took the time to help me with my hair. You guys are the best. As for Sam he admits that it will take him a little while to get used to it. As for me I LOVE IT!!!!!!

Planning a Party and Praising the Lord

2008-04-08T16:54:00.003-04:00

PRAISE THE LORD PRAISE THE LORD!!!!!! I want to thank everyone who prayed for us at the orthodontist this morning. The answer......... We have to WAIT 9 months to see what Quin's mouth is going to do. The doctor said that the problem might fix it's self as his mouth develops. Praise the Lord my husband and I can now put a little money away at a time and we will have the money when Quin needs the work done. Isn't God good to us. Thank you Lord for that wonderful news!!!!!!!!!

Paige is going to be 3 years old on Saturday. As her mommy I find it hard to believe that she is already three. All week last week all she would talk about was her Dora birthday party with ALL her friends. I finally asked her WHAT friends? she then went through the entire cradle roll at our church. I think that is so cute. We decided that we would invite four kids from church and of course, Gina has to come and Paige wanted our new favorite babysitter Ashley. The age span of this party is far ranged but I think it's cute.

Prayer Changes Things

2008-04-07T12:05:00.002-04:00

Friday night was our ladies meeting at our church. Our wonderful Pastor's wife Julie did an excellent job on teaching the ladies of our church to pray. I have always been blessed by the opportunity to be able to pray and I love to talk so it would make sense that talking to the Lord would come naturally to me. However praying the Biblical way is a whole different story. I was so blessed by the information Miss Jule presented I thought you might enjoy the information :

The Bible tells us to Pray in this order based on Matthew 6

1. Praise God for who he is.

2. Remind God of His will for others

3. Ask God to meet your daily needs

4. Yield Yourself to confess your sin

5. Express your willingness to forgive the offences of others

6. Remember that you need God's daily guidance and protection.

This has been such a help to me in my personal devotions I just had to share it with you.

Also, I have taught my son to pray this way. I came home Friday night and wrote it all out in third grade terms and my son said to me this morning. " Mom I feel like God is really hearing me and I feel closer to God" I realize that serving God is not about how you feel. But it touched my heart to know that Quin saw a difference in his prayer life. Thank you Miss Julie to care enough to teach us to pray and love us enough to take the time to make a difference in our spiritual lives. Paige is so cute. When she gets in trouble now days her famous line is "Sorry Jesus". I'm thankful that when she gets a little older I can teach her to pray Biblicaly as well.

We Are Home

2008-04-02T11:47:00.002-04:00

We have arrived home from Iowa. We had a wonderful time. We saw an air balloon museum and we went "off road" to see the Bridges of Madison County. I personally I never seen the movie. I guess I will have to rent it. The bridges are just BEAUTIFUL. Even though it was raining on the day that we went, I didn't care because the bridges are so awesome. We enjoyed getting away and Edith was blessed because she was able to spend very valuable time with her 88 year old sister and her husband. I'm thankful for quiet family time away from the everyday things to be done. We also went tot the Cheesecake Factory for the first time. Kina, you are right IT IS AWESOME. My husband can take me back there anytime he wants. It is fun to travel but, it's nice to be home.

Bridges of Madison County

2008-04-02T11:46:00.001-04:00

Sick and Tired

2008-03-27T22:26:00.002-04:00

Well it has been quite a day. About 10:00am this morning my husband called home and stated he could not stay at work, he was miserable. This was after my son woke up complaining of a earache. So I prepared the infirmary. Sam went to the Minute Clinic at CVS Pharmacy. (interesting concept you walk in to the pharmacy and you walk out with a prescription). Sam has a sinus infection and is on a prescription for 10 days. At 1:00pm we found out that Quin has a mild ear infection and is also on a prescription. Quin does not feel that bad and is determined that he is going to the field trip tomorrow. We are going out of town on Saturday (providing everyone stays healthy). Please pray that we will all be healthy enough to travel this week end. Prescriptions are supposed to work wonders. Well , two out of the four of us are sick and mom's tired. Good night!!!!!

More Easter Pictures

2008-03-25T21:32:00.001-04:00