Sunday Scrappin'

For Scrappin' Sunday we share our "ta-da's" and our "to-do's" to keep us motivated each week. Join me...

TA-DA - I get to show off something that makes me VERY VERY happy today! I was obedient to the conviction God put on my heart (I wrote about that yesterday).

I packed up scrapbook gifts that I should have sent out 2 years ago!!! (Sorry ladies involved.)

Look...

They're all ready for the post office now...

Hopefully next week I will have pictures from the post office trip :)

Now onto my running TO-DO list...

1. Get old scrapbook packages ready and go to post office. (I took this off my Tackle-It list realizing it was more scrapbook related than home related :) - plus it's all I got done this week!!!
   
2. Got to post office to send old scrapbook gifts!
3. Make niece's belated birthday card.
4. Make a wedding card.
5. Finish undone purple layout.
6. Journal on old "finished" layouts.
7. Print Studio J layouts before they expire.
8. Plan more layouts.

Scrapbooking on my Mind

I had scrapbooking on my mind today. I actually almost thought today was National Scrapbook Day and I was missing it.

So I decided to try to do SOMETHING scrapbookie :)

I organized my extra things and made a list of all that I would like to sell, I will post it on here sometime soon if you are looking for some good (well priced) stuff :)

I was even more excited when I realized NEXT Saturday is National Scrapbook Day and I WASN'T missing it!

So now I have a week to possibly have something planned.

Noticing I had that much time made me think of past NSD's and what I have done. Last year I got to go on my first Scrapbook Retreat! Three years ago I threw a little one day blog party. And two years ago I threw a TWO WEEK blog party! This bought back sad memories and a conviction! You see I planned 10 gifts to give and STILL have not sent ANY of them! SLACKER!!! The Bible say to "let your yes be yes and your no be no", which pretty much means do what you say you're going to do... conviction!

So I also started getting those old gifts ready to ship! :)

And while I was working on all that I got a happy surprise... Today's mail...

The new Close to My Heart Summer Catalog came! Let me know if you want one!

And I got THE CUTEST baby shower invitation! (Don't pay attention to the swirly parts, it doesn't really look like that, I just blurred out the personal info on it so I could show it to you!)

Isn't it amazing???!

So what do you all have planned for National Scrapbook Day next week?

100 Days and Earth Day

I am 25 weeks and 5 days pregnant today.

I have been pregnant for 180 days.
Baby is probably about 13.5 inches and 1.5 pounds.

Today marks the day that I have 100 more pregnant days to go :) the ticker on my blogs sidebar reminds me of this...

I am excited to say that today I will be purchasing a new bunkbed for my girls so I can use the crib for the new baby. I'm ordering it for $380 mattresses included... and for earth day I thought it was kinda cool that the mattresses are rebuilt from used and cleaned supplies :)

We will not be getting the underbed drawers since I don't think they are pretty from the side, and they don't go all the way back, so I think they are a cute waste of space and money. I like underbed storage baskets instead :).

But I am planning a safety rail for my 2 year old, since this is her first "big girl bed"...



Our first bunkbed was my older daughter's first "big girl bed" as well...

And here is a picture of my son in the separated top bunk of that same bunkbed for his first "big boy bed", perfect for him with all the built-in railings...


Currently JJ (the oldest) is in the top bunk of the old bed, with B.boy in the bottom and Mini in the crib. When we get the white bunkbed, JJ will go on the top with Mini on the bottom and I will take the top bunk off the older bunkbed so B.boy can have the bottom.

Eventually when the new baby is big enough B.boy will go on the top bunk and Baby will go below him with Mini's old safety rail :)

A boys bunk and a girls bunk :).

Wordless Wednesday

My son turned 4 over the weekend!

We went to the Aquarium, had a picnic over the Bay, light saber fights with daddy, a special birthday dinner with slurpees, then a bath and birthday brownies!!! it was fun...

There were Sea Turtles...

Anemones...

Jellies...

Star Fish...

And even Flamingos...

But my favorite was the many different kinds of Sea Horses...

They were Amazing!!!...

:) After the aquarium we stopped for some candy and the kids got the perfect stickers to match their personalities, lol!!! :)

Linus - always with his blankie...

Lucy - Linus' older sister - always being bossy...

Tackle it Tuesday

Brushing up on my tackling stills :)

I tackled some other painting and decorating plans a month ago, but before that I hadn't tackled in a YEAR!

I think I will keep a running To-Do list here (at the bottom) like I do for Sunday Scrappin' to keep myself accountable.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

For last week I finally got my bedroom wall painted after having the paint sit around for a month and a half!

Here's my wall all clean and ready...

Here is me and baby (24 weeks) in our painting clothes :)...

Here is the Chocolate - "Brownie" paint I got from Wally Mart...

Here I was done with my least favorite part - preparations blah! Taping...

Here are my kiddos "helping" with their pieces of tape, lol :)...

First coat - edging and top half done...

Whole first coat done - it looked really bad!...

And I looked pretty messed up myself...

But the kids were still having a good time, because I wasn't paying as much attention to their "quite time" :)...

It all looked MUCH better once the second coat was completed!!!...

This is the only picture I could find of what the room looked like before I took everything off the walls and moved the furniture away...

And this is the after picture with everything back in place :)...

I totally love it. Now I can't wait to get my 2 year old a "big girl bed" so I can take her crib and move it into my room for the new baby... it will go to the far right in this picture :)

Now onto my running TO-DO list...

1. Organize and pare down hand-me-down clothes in bins.
2. Hang acoustic guitar on wall in front room.
3. Pack hospital bag.
4. Make labor index cards to help hubby coach.
5. Get kids to doctors appointments and sign-up for WIC.
6. Back up hard-drive.
7. Get old scrapbook packages ready and go to post office.
8. Get a "big girl bed" for Mini and move her crib to master bedroom.
9. Get a work-space built for homeschooling in the Fall.
10. Find online courses and sign-up to do my own general ed.

My Walk Monday

Sin is Sin is Sin.

We went through a sad chapter today in youth group, if you don't already know the story in Genesis 34 you should take the time to read it.

There are plenty of different characters in just this one chapter, but they all had different downfalls. I know my downfalls are very different from others that I would think are "worse", but sin is sin is sin.

1. Shechem - prince of the Hivites - "violated" Dinah (sin of commission).
2. Jacob - Dinah's father - heard that she had been "defiled" and did nothing (sin of omission).
3. Hamor - Shechem's father, the King - never either tried himself, or had Shechem right the wrong or even confess the sin. They only continued to be self-seeking.
4. Shechem tried to pay Dinah's family off to take her as his wife.
5. Jacob's sons deceived Shechem and Hamor into circumcising their entire family.
6. Levi and Simeon - Dinah's brothers - went and killed all the newly circumcised men while they were in pain.
7. They also plundered the dead, their city, their fields, and their houses. They took the little ones and wives as captives.
8. Jacob was selfish for his own reputation and safety because of this son's actions.
9. And still Jacob neither said nor did anything about what happened to his daughter.

This was all kinda perfect for me to read through today because all of it kinda just makes me angry. It's a good anger again the sin of Shechem, Hamor and Jacob, but what about me? Am I angry with my own sin? Am I THIS angry with my own sin??? Is it disgusting to me? Will I do anything it takes to right my own wrong? Will I even confess it?! Will I teach my children to do what is right by determining to lead by example? Or will I fall into my own selfishness and excuses again????

And maybe I am doing something about my personal sin, but I am doing it incorrectly like Levi and Simeon... only taking myself further into a different sin?!

Lord please continue to give me Your amazing grace and dynamite power against MY OWN sin. Lord I want it to start with me. I want my children to learn mostly through a good example, not "do as I say, not as I do". I want them to have a love of good from seeing that You give me the strength to love what is good. Forgive me of comparing one sin to another when they all have the same terrible outcome to separate us from You. I love You and want to be close to You forever and always. You are my Mighty and Awesome King.

Scrappin' Sunday

For Scrappin' Sunday we share our "ta-da's" and our "to-do's" to keep us motivated each week. Join me...

TA-DA - My things to show off this week actually span across a couple weeks because I haven't done this in almost 2 months! Wow - I didn't think it's been THAT long...

First Layout (I did in February)...

Second Layout (I did two weeks ago)...











And this Layout... I'm not done with it, but I thought I'd show you I have a plan :)...

Now onto my running TO-DO list...

1. Make niece's belated birthday card.
2. Make a wedding card.
3. Finish undone purple layout.
4. Journal on old "finished" layouts.
5. Print Studio J layouts before they expire.
6. Plan more layouts.