First Arrowsprings giveaway!

My first giveaway is on for tomorrow!  Since I have cabin fever also, I have taken up an old hobby with a new twist! I am sure if you love baby stuff or know somebody who does, you will love the item in the giveaway post!  You will have 12 hours from the time that I post the item to leave a comment and answer the question I will be asking IN your comment.  Can't wait to show you!  Babies and mommies will love it! Begin thinking what you love most about babies!  Stay tuned...

Cabin Fever

These cold, winter days can give us cabin fever.  And from the actions and activity of my my kids, we have it!  Here are some things I do to release some of their bundled up energy:

• play indoor games such as Simon Says, Bible Questions Game while they raise their hand when they have the answer, indoor basketball with a nerf ball and bucket, indoor obstacle course, etc.
• play library by setting up our books in rows and giving them a "library" card and a toy cash register for the scanner and then sit and read books with them
• play store and restaurant and have hot chocolate and cookies that we bought at the "store" and eat at the restaurant after we play
• watch home movies!  This is great for all ages!  Watching them laugh and talk about all the memories is priceless
• jump on my daughter's exercise trampoline or do exercise video WITH them
• dance to THEIR music and play follow the leader
• SIT and cut paper!  This is great for my 3, 5, and 6 year old since scissors are usually a no-no!
• bake something yummy and easy
• clean!  No joke!  They love to spray baseboards and wipe them even with just water!!  Dining room chairs too!
• take a bath and just play
• make invitaions, dress up, and have a tea-party with real food (boys love this too!)  This is a great way to also teach table manners!
• when all else fails, bundle up and let them run around outside for a short time!  :)  I have done this the past week even though the temps have been cold!  It does wonders for their energy levels. 

We are going to be able to get out this week because the temps are going to warm up.  But we have fun doing calm indoor things also!  Sometimes it takes a little more work and creativity, but it is well worth it!

PS  I have taken up a new little adventure and will be having a giveaway.  You will soon find out what that is!  It has to do with babies!  (I know, imagine that!)  So if you like baby things and want something for free, stay tuned for tomorrow's post and get a chance to win something really adorable for your little one or a little one you know!

Foto Friday- Winter Fun

We have recieved an artic blast this week that has made it even too cold to do winter outdoor activities!
This picture was LAST week when it was bearable for my kids to sled!
My oldest has been sledding for 15 winters, the next to youngest, well... this is his First!
At first, we thought he hated it at the end of the hill because he was screaming! We soon realized he did not want the ride to come to and end! He out sled all the "big" kids.
Fun memories!

Stay warm and have a GREAT weekend!

HAPPY New Year- but submit HAPPILY?

I'm not much for making New Year's resolutions.  Maybe it's because I'm scared of failure :) but for the most part, I just know that I need to seek God daily and see what He has for me daily and not focus on the long term.  Although as a whole, the long term is what I want to look back on and see that I have changed ~ for the better!  However, it usually takes me changing MY ways on a DAILY basis!  As I have looked back on the previous year I began to wonder where I am spiritually compared to where I was a year ago. 

• Am I closer to God?
• Do I look to Him more?
• Have I surrendered to Him?
• Do I seek MY way less?
• Do I spend more time with Him than I did a year ago?
• Have I reacted in my flesh less?
• Do my children see any change in me because I am seeking Him more?

As I thought about these questions, some I can answer more easily than others.  I am finding out this year, He decided I needed some work and started me out with a difficult one!  (I actually did not see that I really had much of a problem!)  But pride always cometh before every fall!  :)   he began to show me I was not happily and willingly submitting!   To my God, and my husband.  The realization of how I just might not be where I need to be in that area, broke me!   I began to sadly see how my short, quick temembered responses to my husband  hurt him,  how I would submit, but do it with a grudging heart.  The times I would say, "No, I want you to decide honey!"  But then quickly say without being asked, "MY personal opinion is..."  How often I would TELL him to make a decisoin, but how often I would really want control of his answer!  In other words to do what I wanted.  What that really was saying is I do not trust him and in return, I do not trust God!  I began to realize it is really not about what I want or what I like or what is easy!  It is about letting my husband be the leader of our home. And because he is a Godly man, I need to trust his decisions and allow him to make them without me manupulating him into doing things my way!  You see, I like to be in control!  I have certain ways that I like to do things and he just does not...well...do things the way I would do them most some of the time!  But that does not make me right!  In fact, more often than not, I have found that HIS way has turned out to be the better way!  Surprise, surprise!  (My guess is, God knew what He was doing when He made my husband the leader of our home and for me to be under his submission!)  Hmmm..... imagine that!  I am so blessed to have a man who does ask my opinion and takes to heart my take on things, BUT to allow HIM to have the final say and for him to truly know and believe that, is just plain hard sometimes!  But the blessing that has followed has been incredible!  My children used to be so confused!  How can they learn to trust their daddy if their mom does not!  How can my girls learn to trust their husbands someday and bring blessing to them, IF they don't see their own mom submitting to her husband?  How can they learn to trust and submit to their parents if they have not seen ME submit to God and know that HE can be trusted?  Submission has eternal ramifications if you choose to do it or not!  It is not always easy, but is ALWAYS best!   It will bring blessing to your entire family for the day AND the years to come!

James 4:7&8 ~ Therefore submit to God.  Resist the devil and he will flee from you!  Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you

As the new year begins, I have been shown gently by my God, that I need to give in to MY ways and go HIS way!  A pretty hard but wonderful way to start off the year!  Can't wait to see what the coming year holds! 

For Today...

Today, I pray you have a blessed time in the coming week preparing for whatever you are preparing for

Today, I am so thankful for my warm home, loving family and food to eat

Today, I am thankful for my loving husband and beautiful, healthy children

Today, I realize that the world is looking for that missing link

Today, I realize that the only one that can fill that searching is Christ!

Christ is...

waiting for us to seek him

know Him

wait on Him

love Him

die to ourselves so other's will see Him in us

He does not NEED us but he WANTS us because it is best for us!

But...

We need Him!  Our very being depends on it for survival!

I don't want to just survive, I want to thrive!  And with Him and ONLY Him, that is possible!

Please continue to seek Christ and know that He is ALL you need now and in the coming year! 

Merry Christmas to you my blog friends and your family!

  May God continue to share His everloving presence in your heart today and always!

Until Next year...

A whole lott'a love!

6 months in review...
Can't believe the love he has brought into our hearts and home!

We are in love with you sweet little one!

Happy 1/2 birthday!

Baby's First Christmas...

Our little guy is juuuust starting to sit up and watch all the activity on his first Christmas! Where did the past 6 months go?

Did you say JOYS of motherhood?

The joys of motherhood, I will be honest are sometimes hidden by the stresses of life!  Should that be the case?  NO!  But lately, I have failed to see the joys and concentrated on the work!  I usually do not struggle with this!  I more than not, concentrate on being content and try not to grumble!  The last couple weeks, not so much!  The worst part of that problem is, I have not been able to come to grips with why I am so impatient, uptight, and just plain miserable the past few weeks!   I don't have more to do than any other time of the year.  Yes, Christmas is upon us, but I enjoy so much, baking with the kids, passing out goodies to the neighbors and getting prepared for the special day itself.  So that is not it!  Finances?  Well, we always have to be frugal and live on a TIGHT budget, so that has not changed either!

Yesterday it came to a head!  I was cooking dinner after being in the kitchen ALL day and my 22 month old was standing at the gate with arms up in the air reaching out for me saying, "Belp mommeee, belp mommeee!  Peeeeaaassee!"   (That is not uncommon!)  What was uncommon was my tendency to want to entice him into the living room where DAD could entertain him!  I wanted to just get dinner made and move on to the next task at hand.  Happily grudgingly, I lifted him over the gate and sat him up on the counter as he patiently watched me cutting up potato's.  I then proceeded to show him how to put the sliced potato's in the baggie with seasoning.  Great help, right?  UM, not really!  I would put them in a handful at a time and be done more quickly.  A 22 month old, nope!  ONE SLICE, BY ONE SLICE, BY ONE SLICE!  So I tried to wait patiently, (but that did not last more than one or two slices!).  So I asked him in a calm impatient  voice, "Can mommy help you?" 

"NOOOOO, me DO it!"  He stated to me in a VERY clear tone!  So there I stood, for what seemed like forever!  12 minutes later, (after I did sneak in a few slices myself), the potato's were in the baggie!  Does not seem too long, I know!   (You try standing there watching somebody do something so meticulously and slow that would take YOU seconds to achieve!)  Throughout this process, sad to say,  I had to do a lot of self talking!  Did it really matter that we would eat 10 minutes later than I planned on?  Did it really matter that I would be in the kitchen a little longer than I wanted to be?  NO!  What DID matter, is my sweet little boy was feeling valuable and learning an important thing.  That he IS valuable!  Boy, did I want to shoo him out of there and hurry up!  BUT thankfully, God quietly whispered to my heart, "That is not MY way Heather!"  God wanted me to give up of myself and MY wants!  So the journey of God teaching ME a valuable lesson continued...

Later that night, my oldest son was leaving to his grandparents to go hunting the next day.  He gave me a hug and left.  I went down to the washing maching to wash the babies diapers and began weeping!  I had a tinge of helplessness and reality!  A realization of things to come!  I was crying to God telling Him that I don't want things to change!  I want to pause my life right now!  All of my kids live under the same roof!  They are all safe and my husband and I can monitor where they go!  Waaaayyy to soon, that will change!  Where did the time go when my oldest wanted to help me in the kitchen?  Where did the time go when he was standing at the kitchen gate with his arms outstretched wanting to help ME!  (Now I'm usually asking for HIS help!)  As the years have gone on, we still have a great relationship, but those sweet moments are gone!  I know that there will still be other sweet moments to share as he grows, but the years have gone by so fast!  And soon, he will be leaving to start his own life!  That is what we are raising him to do, but because of my mommy heart, it is sad for me to think of him leaving of our home!  That being said, I walked up the stairs, gave my 22 month old a hug and went to bed...

Then the phone rings!  A dear life-long friend calls.  We literally do not remember life without each other!  I think I was 2 when we met and she was 18 months!  We are hundreds of miles apart now but have continued to share with each other and keep in touch often.  She did not sound so good!  I asked if she was doing okay and she said, "No, I'm really not!"  She began to tell me of the struggles she had been going through with being a mom!  How she just felt like lately she was going to ruin her kids forever because of all the snappy answers, worrying to much about a clean house instead of letting the kids just play, and just all those mommy things!  I began to tell her of the things that had began to unfold that day with my life and what God had been speaking to me!  We cried together, laughed together and sometimes just sighed!  The only answer we could give each other is we cannot do it alone and God is the ONLY one who can help us!  Coincidence she called me?  No way!  Coincidence that I had been going through the EXACT same things in my life and heart!  Nope!  Sometimes I love to give advice and have all the answers!  And sometimes God has been gracious to impart wisdom to my heart and share wonderful things to others, but not this time! 

Why?  I think He wanted me to see that HE is the one with the answers.  He is the one to comfort me.  He is the one that is along side of me day in and day out when this job of motherhood becomes just plain hard!  I am not alone! 

Isaiah 43:1&2 ~ ...Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name;  you are MINE.  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.  When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you...

As a mother, I have walked through many moments of fear!  I have also walked through the "rivers" of being overwhelmed!  But God has told me to not fear, and do not be overwhelmed!  I can walk through FIRE and He will uphold me and I will not be burned!  WOW!  What peace that has brought me!   He has given me these beautiful children, and yes, He is all I need to bring them up in the way that they should go!  And when they are old, they shall not depart from it!  (Proverbs 22:6) 

I am so thankful for a loving God who knows my struggles and all I have to do is call to Him and He is there!  Now, I must go and make cookies with my children!  Maybe today, the mess won't bother me as much and I will see the joy on their faces and not the flour! 

*A little sidenote ~ At lunch, the day my oldest son went hunting, he took time to call his mom, ahem...(that would be me!) just to tell me he was safe and having fun!  Oh, and I got a quick, "I love you too!" on the other end!  I WILL savor those times more too!  Before I know it, his wife will be the one he is hopefully calling at lunch but until then, I will take what I can get!  :)