Thankful thursday

Today God has given me such an appreciation to be able to stay home with my kids. I don't get the fancy things and we have to sacrifice, but I get to be with my kids. I get to raise them.

Thank you, Jason, for working so hard to make it possible!

Random thought: if the kitchen is clean, the rest of the house can be in shambles and it's ok because at least the kitchen is sparkly.

Mama DIY mini projects

I have a lot of little projects going on and it's been fun!

These two are small and simple but make my house look a little more neat. That's my goal, because I stay here all day, I want to make my house look better and homey one little idea at a time! Oh and make it more functional too.

We are going to be starting preschool within a year. Yes, I am home-schooling, and very excited! And I have wanted to start getting our school area ready. I have the chalk board and of course the next step would be the alphabet. 

I was going to buy something, you know, classroomish looking, but I this was a better idea. Now, painting and I aren't best friends, but it turned out pretty good! 

 My next mini project is so simple. I was getting tired of trying to remember which oil is olive and which is vege. I just painted on chalkboard paint that we had left (primed first) and tada! I can tell which is which! 

I have a couple other projects I'm excited about. A couple sewing projects and gift projects. Plus, I still haven't forgotten about those fun kids projects we are doing!  Have a great couple days!

Knock, Knock

Who's there?
Tank
Tank who?
Your welcome
------Nevaeh's joke for trick or treat!

Did you know that telling jokes is special to Des Moines? I found this out from friends who are not from here when they said it was ridiculous! I was amazed telling jokes isn't a national thing, or even an Iowa thing.

Nevaeh went out trick or treating for the first time this year and she got a good haul of candy... something my hips do not need (yet, I still eat it)! She had a blast, but doing anything with just daddy is always a blast with her.

I'm not a big fan of Halloween. Not because I'm a Christian and it's bad, but because I don't like all things creepy. I despise scary movies, even commercials I have to close my eyes (and plug my ears!). I don't like mascots, Cubbie bear (at I-cubs) will never get a hello from me. You don't think its creepy that strangers come and give you hugs dressed in giant costumes?? I do!

So Halloween and me don't mix well. But, hey, we get free candy out of it and Nevaeh had a great time with daddy.

Here are a few pics of festivity fun and some kid crafts we have been doing. I have some recipes and mama's DIY projects coming up next week, so stay tuned!

I do love to carve pumpkins though!

 Yummy... I don't know what he was eating.. probably pumpkin

 Last year Nevaeh had no fear and picked a handful of grossness. This year, nope, nothing.

 Top to bottom: Jason's, mine, Nevaeh's (left), Gray's (right). Nevaeh specifically asked for triangles and a rectangle. The skin on our pumpkins were, no joke, half a centimeter thick, making it extremely hard to carve them!

 My little ballerina (recycled this years swimming suit) and dragon. 

 My handsome men!

 A good friend planned a huge Harvest Party for lost of ladies and kiddos at church... waiting for the fun to start.

 Yay, it started!

kids crafts

 Target had foam shapes for $1 and I just cut up some construction paper and she did her thing. I also introduced skinny markers to her, and they are wonderful for toddlers! 

 Noah's ark, rip and glue pictures! I asked her what she remember from the story and she said, "It rained for 40 days and 40 nights."

 Today we made leaf turkeys. She had fun picking out leaves and gluing them on. She drew the sun, grass and flowers. She also wrote the "N" for her name (i wrote the rest). 

 Leaf Turkey!

Just be a mom

Ok, so, I am a very driven person.

I want to do things I love.

Graphic design. Art. Writing. Baking.

But my struggle is I want to do them beyond the home.

I recently have been struggling extra hard in this area. I see all these women, most without kids (so that should be a big DUH right there), doing amazing things they love to do. And making it their careers, or living.

I chose to be a mom, an at-home mom that is, at a young age. So doing things I want were givin up to God; I nailed them to the cross. But I am still a human and struggle with it.

One afternoon, I was having an especially hard time and during my quiet time, I stopped everything and asked , well kinda yelled at God ,"What can I do? I want to do things, what?"

Just be a mom.... Those are the very next words that came to my mind after asking that question.

Just be a mom.

It was kinda like that activity in school where the teacher asks you, "what is the first word that comes to mind when you hear this..." I heard that sentence almost immediately.

So over the last couple of weeks, I have spent a lot of time in prayer asking for help in being content. I love being a mom, but I need help to love being JUST a mom.

I know God will give me opportunities to do what I love, but it will never be more than that... Opportunities. And I'm beginning to be ok with that. My kids need me, not me and added stresses. Not me in a minute. Not me after I finish this. They need just me.

And I'm not going to give them any less.

Thank you, lord, for revealing this to me!
Matthew 6:21 WHEREVER YOUR TREASURE IS, THERE THE DESIRES OF YOUR HEART WILL ALSO BE.