Praises of a Wife and Mommy

Happy Halloween... Hallows Eve! We were a bit behind with the pumpkin carving but my almost parent fail turned into a blessing.  It was Halloween night and I needed to still purchase some pumpkins to carve.  The town I work in was all sold out so when I got home we went to another town and pulled up and the sign read, "pumpkins are now FREE!!"'   WHAT!!   We got 4 free pumpkins!   How awesome was that!   When I almost thought we weren't going to find any to carve we got free ones!   YAY! 

Sadly this is the only picture I got on this busy fun filled day!   Last year was my first year helping organize the event and then this year I had to find a team to help me plan it.   It was a lot of work but thankfully there were people that helped me!   I was not expecting the 450+ kids we saw this year!   Some of the costumes were absolutely amazing!!!   I know some parents must have spent a lot of time and money creating some one of a kind costumes!    I had fun making my bag of jelly beans costume...however I had no idea the temperature was going to be close to 80 at the end of October!   So I ended up sweating profusely and having to take off my costume to breath a bit!  I learned a lot and I hope to enjoy it again next year! 

The annual Fire Station Open house happened and we had a great time.  We enjoyed the fire truck rides, going through the smoke house, seeing the ambulance, cop car, rescue boats, and a few others!    A couple of years ago I wouldn't have been able to get a picture of the kids with anyone in a costume... look how happy they looked there!  The fear is gone... AMEN!  Top Tips for Fire Safety Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, inside bedrooms and outside sleeping areas. Test smoke alarms every month. ... Talk with all family members about a fire escape plan and practice the plan twice a year. If a fire occurs in your home, GET OUT, STAY OUT and CALL FOR HELP.

Okay I am going to be honest for a minute.  When I got these pictures out I was mad... I compared it to last years and then got even more unhappy about them.   They look so much cheaper than last year.   Our school used a different company and I do no t like it.   There I said it... I did consider sending the pictures back and doing retakes but then I started to like them... and started to think these will be great... everyone always has a few school pictures they hate, right?  I still got lots of compliments on my babies however, which was nice because they are precious!  So here it is Selah a 3rd grader and Titus a Kindergartner! 

My Saturday mornings were fantastic watching Titus play for the purple team!   I was one proud mama the entire time watching him.  He scored several goals each week and he looked so happy and having a blast each week.   I can't wait for spring!   He had a couple really close friends playing with him and they started to play together at recess at school... they made a soccer club!   How adorable is that!  My small town rocked it with enough volunteers to run this fantastic program!   We are blessed to live in this small town!  We love it here! 

Getting a Home Ready for a New Baby A new baby is on the way and you’ve begun decorating the nursery and clearing away clutter in your house. Chances are you are also working on enhancing your home in other ways as well. There are furniture pieces you can’t do without, such as purchasing a new crib (unless this is your second child). You may also be implementing calming elements, such as cooler tones on the walls that’ll have a calming affect on a baby. Plus, who can wait to organize the closet with all of those fun baby accessories?! All of these elements combined will not only enhance the appearance of your home but will create a tranquil environment for when the new baby arrives. Clear clutter and begin to decorate   If you haven’t already done so -- even if the nursery is currently being used as a place to store boxes or other elements -- go ahead and start sorting and organizing. When you’re able, set up the nursery and implement new toys, diapers, books, and other suppl

With the arrival of the most spectacular winter in years and Christmas only a night away, Princesses Joy, Grace, Faith, Charity, and Hope find themselves in the midst of a scene right out of a holiday fairytale in this newest adventure in the Princess Parables series A Royal Christmas to Remember. But then the threat of bandits in the village lead the king away from the castle on Christmas Eve! Suddenly, the bandits come crashing into the castle. Praying to God for courage and safety, the princesses are soon rescued by five brave knights and then do some rescuing themselves. The next day, the princesses go to the village to see how they can be of help to the people, discovering that the true meaning of Christmas is honoring and giving glory for the greatest gift of all. My Review: My 9 year old daughter has loved this series for awhile now and this book did not disappoint!   We truly enjoyed the princesses heart change during the story.   They were once focused on their presents

In the newest Berenstain Bears Living Lights book, The Berenstain Bears and the Christmas Angel, the cubs discover there’s more to angels than wings and flowing white robes! It is almost Christmas and there is finally snow in Bear Country. Brother, Sister, and Honey Bear are ready for some winter fun! But when they can’t decide what kind of snowbear to build, Honey Bear’s snow angel gives the older cubs a great idea. Soon the cubs have built a Christmas snow angel. Later, as they warm up with some hot cocoa, Mama and Papa give the cubs a little lesson about some very special angels and the work they do for God. My Review: One thing that my kids seem to want to know more about is angels and this was a cute story that shares some stories about angels.   After the story is complete there is some scriptures to guide your family in discussing angels with your kids.  Some of the stories in the back that you can discuss with your kids include: Angels ascend and descend from Heaven

Get ready to follow Mary and Joseph on their way to Bethlehem. They are in a hurry! Mary is expecting the baby Jesus and they need your help to find many things along the way. This holiday board book is perfect for young children who will love finding the 48 objects hidden on the pages while reading the classic story of Christmas, accurately retold and with scripture references. On your mark, Ready-Set-Find! My Review: This adorable board book will be the perfect stocking stuffer this Christmas!   The creative portion of this book is the seek and find pictures on each page while you still to read about the true meaning of Christmas, Jesus Birth!   The art is absolutely adorable, as they use cartoon like characters.   This is a book that is geared for younger children from infant to 4.  I do have a 5 and 9 year though and we still had fun searching for the pictures as well as enjoying the story.   This book is also a great addition to any Christmas routine you might have with

The Berenstain Bears Bedtime Devotional is perfect for little cubs settling down for a good night’s sleep. Including a devotion for each day with a reflection, Scripture, and a Bear Prayer for the End of Day from Brother, Sister, and even Honey Bear, these 90 reflections on simple Christian truths such as God loves us, love one another, be courageous and kind, and much more are the peaceful way to end a busy day. Bear Country friends will be featured throughout in simple artwork from the Living Lights brand. My Review: I am highly enjoying reading this devotional every night with my kids on each side of me.   If you read my blog often you know I love the Berenstain Bear book series.    The book is a hard cover book and each devotional is one page.  It is geared for children 4-8 years old however I think older children will enjoy it just as much. My favorite feature is how they end the devotional, a prayer from one of the characters from The Berenstain Bears!  The prayer

I think I need to frame that picture... and yes I know I need to go get family pictures professionally done!  Some days this family is so busy but days like this where we get to hang out and enjoy what the area has to offer makes me smile.   We had nice weather, with awesome friends, and we got to eat as many apples as we wanted while we were there!   I will have to remember to go earlier in the apple season to find my favorites.  Some tree's were really picked over so it did create a challenge to find enough of the ones we wanted.  

The Annual Witches Walk in LeClaire is soon approaching and thanks to Oriental Trading we have some fun new items for the event!  I'm sure everyone is getting their costumes ready for the big day as my team gets ready for prizes and games!  The new game this year that we will fill up with some water so it doesn't blow away is the Limbo...or I mean the Limb boo!   We also got a few things that will go inside these bags to give the kids from pieces of candy to other items that share the love of Christ!    As I get ready for the event I am already putting more items in a shopping cart on Oriental Trading!   They have the best bulk items to order on the internet!  I am really excited to have this nice banner for the Witches Walk as well!  The colors are perfect and the pumpkins are cute!      

Book Description: What if a child could read his or her own personal mail from God? The NIrV Love Letters from God Bible will invite kids to do just that! This full-text Bible in the New International Reader’s Version (NIrV) is a perfect way to introduce children to God’s Word and his great love. With 80 love letters from God written especially for the reader, children will see Bible stories and themes come to life and learn just how much they are loved by their Creator. Each love letter also contains a very special Bible verse, entitled God’s Wonderful Words to You. Much more than a mere memory verse, each carefully chosen promise will be God’s very own personal words of love, encouragement, and hope, and are highlighted in the text. The love letters will culminate in an invitation for the children to write their own RSVP to God. Features include: 80 personal love letters from God Highlighted Wonderful Words—special verses to remember and cherish 80 prompts encouraging

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SELAH!!  We had a fun "Minute to Win it Celebration!"  Selah had a lot of friends show up and have an amazing time celebrating with her!    We also did an DQ ice cream cake which was her first one she has ever eaten... she is a fan!   I remember having ice cream cakes a lot growing up.  The birthday girl also requested dinner at Hu Hot!   I was so excited she picked that place... YUM!  9... its like childhood needs to freeze at this age.   You still love playing make believe with your American girl dolls.   You love to play school, ride your bike, and play any sort of game!   You are an includer in everything you do!   I love your heart and passion in everything you do.   I am so excited to see you grow.   This last year you ran several races and continued to leave us speechless!   WE love you so much girl!