Christmas Pictures 2007

I know what you are thinking?!? What a cute picture! I have to agree, but I'm sure that you will appreciate it even more once you know the background story. To start Grandma Hartzell hand made their prairie pj's, and they turned our so cute. However on this day that we decided to take this picture for our Christmas card.....well lets just say it wasn't ideal.

1. My husband was working 2nd shift so Grandma and I were on our own. We were out

numbered!

2. This make-shift photo studio was in living room of our small two bedroom apartment.

3. Our youngest Addie Grace had RSV.

4. I couldn't understand why the other were so grouchy, that is until I took their temperature and realized that they both had fevers of 102!

So I am glad that we took the time and went to the trouble because I do believe that my children were born in the wrong era. Don't you think they look like they could be in the Little House on the Prairie books? It turned our well, but boy what a headache we both had after this was over! Thank you to Grandma Hartzell for her creativity and Love that she had for our little girls!

Worship

( Addie Grace and Mommy, Camping in our tent)
"And he pitched his tent having Bethel on the west and Ai on the east: and there he builded an alter." Genesis 12:8



Worship is giving God the best that He has given you. Be careful what you do with the best you have. Whenever you get a blessing from God, give it back to Him as a love gift. Take time to meditate before God and offer the blessing back to Him in a deliberate act of Worship. If you hoard a thing for yourself, it will turn into spiritual dry rot, as the manna did when it was hoarded. God will never let you hold a spiritual thing for yourself, it has to be given back to Him that He may make it a blessing to others.

Bethel is the symbol of communion with God; Ai is the symbol of the world. Abraham pitched his tent between the two. The measure of the worth of our public activity for God is the private profound communion we have with Him.

Rush is wrong every time, there is always plenty of time to worship God. Quiet days with God may be a snare. We have to pitch our tents where we shall always have quiet times with God, however noisy our times with the world may be there are not three stages in spiritual life-Worship, waiting and work. Some of us go in jumps like spiritual frogs, we jump from worship to waiting, and from waiting to work. God's idea is that the three should go together. They were always together in the life of Our Lord. He was unhasting and unresting. It is a discipline, we cannot get into it all at once.

~~~~~~From: My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers



As I read this exerpt for this book this morning, I became convicted. As a mom I have struggled with this idea of Worship as a way of life. After all how in the world can making mac and cheese and changing countless dirty diapers be pleasing to My Lord?!?



Before kids I was very active in my Church and I loved it. However once kids came along that skreeched to a halt! After all we are blessed if we get to even attend church between all the sick kids! So how am I to Worship My God in this stage of life?



I think that I have begun to answer this question. I need to have the attitude of Worship in all I do. It's easy to loose focus when you are stuck inside these long winter months just passing germs from one host to another. But I believe that God makes no mistakes and He has me here for such a time as this.



My ministry right now is my family. My husband and my girls. After all I have no idea what God has in the future for my children or my children's children. I have to be sure to start a Godly legacy that will carry on long after I am gone. Life now is just a short part of God's plan. I forget we were created for Eternal Life with Our God and Savior. This is just a blink of an eye.



So I carry on! Changing diapers for the Christ, Serving PB&J for the Savior, Laundry for my Lord!!! Will you join me:) I may make us all up some t-shirts!!

The night I fell in Love!

My memory this week is all about the night I fell in love eight years ago this March. Brian's family had attended our church for a while, but since Brian had been in the Marine Corp I didn't meet him until he moved home after his duty ended.

He began attending a bible study we held at my parents house for the college and career aged group. At first I have to admit we didn't get along so well. At that time in my life I didn't care for men and I really didn't want to marry a big headed Marine! In fact he began hanging around a group of friends that my sister was also involved with and I told my mom, "You need to keep an eye on Erin, that Brian has been hanging around!"

Well a few weeks passed and he came to a work day we were having at our church. We were painting the basement and a lot of the group were getting out of hand and I was having a fit because there was paint every where except the walls! He took me aside and said "You really need to calm down, it's not that big of a deal...it will all get done!" That night I thought to myself......If he can tell me what to do, and I'm not even mad, he must be the man for me!

Well my sister and then boyfriend, now husband, set us up on a date. I thought why not, I have nothing better to do! We had ha good time, just the normal dinner and a movie. But there was just something more there!

I came home and my mom was in her room. I walked in and told her I was home, and by the way..... I am going to marry Brian. She was shocked I'm sure but she didn't miss a beat. She just replied "alright, glad you had a good time....see you in the morning".

Well we did get married, in fact 6 mos to the day of our first date! We didn't want to waste any time I guess.

I am so thankful for God working in my heart to see that that Big Headed Marine was the one HE had sent to care for me and give me three of the most beautiful girls in the world.

I Love you Brian and I always will!!!!

Snow Day!!!

Katie Playing in the Snow

Eskimo Emma

Sisters and Best Friends:)

Getting ready to go outside.......yes, I made them potty two times before dressing!

Thank you to Great Granny and Big Papa for the Christmas money that we used to but these snow suits! They Love them, it helps them stay all warm and dry.

It's almost Valentines Day.......

Emma Claire, always ready for her closeup!

Kaitlyn did not want her picture taken, So I'm sure this will make wonderful blackmail in the future:)

What a cutie pie, if I might say so myself:)

And we all know what that means?!? Time to get the Christmas pics off the camera and on to the laptop! I know I'm just a little behind, but none the less here they are. Hope you enjoy! This Christmas was really nice. We were able to enjoy almost every moment even though it did go faster than we would have liked. My Brother David was able to come home, and we were all so very grateful for that. This was his first year that he was away from home and he wasn't able to make it home for Thanksgiving. These pics were taken Christmas eve after our candlelight service at our Church.

Merry Christmas 2008!

Kaitlyn Rose

Emma Claire

Addison Grace

My Brother's Anniversary

It has been one year since my brother, David, left for the Marine Corp Basic Training. One year ago we were wondering how he could make it threw this long and hard journey. Would he be able to escape injury like so many stories we heard of? Would he be able to find something deep within himself to get him threw this? No, he would find something or should I say Some One, who would get him threw this time.

We were all wondering what he would do with his life little more than a year ago. He was struggling to find purpose for his life. He didn't like school and college was proving to be just as much of a mismatch for him. We all knew that he was very smart and talented, he just needed to find his niche in life. We were all praying for him to find something.

One evening he came over to hang out at our house, which wasn't anything new. But this night he has something to talk about. He wanted to talk to my husband Brian about the Marine Corp. My husband was also a Marine so David knew that Brian would be able to give him some insight. As we talked I could feel the Spirit leading the conversation. It all felt like it was falling into place. It was then that we realized that now a greater mission was in order........get mom to approve!

I called her the next day, then I began to lead the conversation. When by my surprise she said "what do you think about the military and David" ......you have got to be kidding me I thought!" Well actually, he was here last night talking about just that". It is so amazing how God goes before conversations like this one and begins working in hearts.

So that is how it all began and within weeks David was on a airplane headed for San Diego, CA.
He made it threw boot camp with no injuries and a new found confidence that he was lacking before. He had become a man. We are all so proud of him. Now he and Brian share something that none of us civilians could ever understand.

I'm so proud of my men in my life:)

You know your a mom when........

..............You judge how productive your day was by how many diapers you changed!
..............Your husband can't get the cap off the children's tylenol, but your 16month old can!
..............You get excited at the thought of going to Wal-mart, by yourself!
..............You will take a kiss from your kids, even if it's covered in PB&J!
..............You have a date with your husband, away from the kids,
but all you can talk about is, THE KIDS!
..............You begin to see Sunday School as free babysitting!
..............You get excited about free toilet paper!
Its the most wonderful job in the word, as well as the most exhausting:) But all in all none of us would trade a moment of it.