The Armstrong 5

I feel like I probably use this title a lot. But, it's a good way to prep you for my random, not so put together post about life in general.

We signed the lease on our new place. Again, we move June 15th. Crazy! Less than 4 weeks! It will be so nice to have Mark closer to work. Lately, we've really seen the affects of his being gone so much. He's running on less than empty. Driving, carpooling, working, driving home again & then dinner, maybe an hour or two with the family, then wind down, go to bed, start over! Not exactly thrilling. But then again, we have it pretty easy here in America. I always wonder how people in 3rd world countries survive. To me, it explains their incredible joy in Christ - their life is so overrun with trauma, difficulties & daily struggles to survive that eternity is so much more of a joyous prize.

I've been especially convicted on this lately. Life is hard with kids & an overworked husband, but it's not that hard. I mean, I've barely thought about how to pay for food or bills (although, we've got debt we're paying down, so there is a lot of thought about that), we've gotten to enjoy several fun dates & events with friends... I start to wonder if an easy life leads to some of the emotional struggles I've been facing. Feeling unaccomplished but not having a very clear idea of what I wish to be accomplished in. Feeling not as happy as I'd like but not being able to pinpoint why. Wishing for better things in life but feeling like I have no clue as to what those things would be.

Today was a bit of a breakthrough. Nothing real significant, but I have purpose today - things to get done. I wonder how much of that strange, inexplicable hopelessness comes from not having things to do. In America, as a stay at home mom, a lot of my work is simple & quick. It doesn't take that long to sweep, or too long to clean a well-steamed bathroom or even that long to fold 3-4 loads of laundry. Granted, I could stand to clean more often than I do, but things are clean enough most of the week and my husband never runs out of clean underwear :) Anyway, I've just been thinking about what my true desires are & have been a bit disappointed. I know where they should be and recognize that they aren't there. And in case you're wondering, they should be focused on being light to a dark world, to my children, family, friends, etc. But, instead, I'm all focused on how to make my life "complete" so to speak. Learning to trust in being complete by putting myself below others in order to glorify God is a really tough pill to swallow. And it doesn't come with a lot of visible rewards (at least not often).

So, yeah, that's where I'm at. It's tough for me to not get overly down on myself - seeing the bad parts of me makes me want to give up. So I'm learning (or at least trying to learn) to see the bad & ask for help instead of just running or hiding. Ugh, such a weakness of mine.

On a more cheerful note, our family has gotten to do a few fun things lately! We went to the coast & visited the Aquarium - I seemed to remember it being way cooler than it was... Mark & I much prefer the zoo. Ah well, the boys had fun & now we know. We also went to see a lighthouse which was great & the views from all the cliffs were incredible.





Mark & I went to a Death Cab for Cutie concert with Dave & Rayma a week or so ago - that was also really fun! We had an amazing dinner at Pastini, great conversation & thoroughly enjoyed the music. The band had an 8 piece orchestra (all strings) playing with them, which was seriously beautiful. So, there are 2 things off my 30 before 30 list!

We've really been enjoying the sun the last few weeks, but I've actually really enjoyed the rain the last 2 days as well. I'm such an Oregonian! It really is a lovely thing when you don't have to go out in it :) Here's a pic of Asher enjoying Grandma's little pool on one of the hot days. And following it is Cole on another warm day, digging in the sandbox.



My boys are growing up right before my eyes! Cole is speaking in more complete sentences & Asher is becoming more observant & thoughtful every day. He observes things that Mark & I sometimes miss! Cole is learning responsibilities like clearing his dishes, putting his drink in the fridge, putting dirty clothes in the laundry basket, hanging his sweatshirt up after coming inside - simple stuff. He can almost count to 20 by himself - he skips 13 & 15, then often goes back to 16 after 18... it's a work in progress. Cole is starting to recognize that words "say something" rather than just being pictures. He can sing his ABC's (it's adorable, I should really record it) but he doesn't really know a ton of letters yet. Odly, he really knows U & R with a handful of others. It's crazy to see him learn things Asher has learned... we're really coming out of the toddler stage with him. Oh, and he's either left-handed or ambidextrous. He eats with his left but can eat equally well with his right. He can throw & color with his left at about the same ease as his right & as you've witnessed, he "plays" guitar left-handed as well. Mark's sister Mary is left-handed and she is the red-head in the family too... yet more Armstrong features Cole has. He appears to have my athleticism at least... well, at least a little more than average.

Asher is able to read a lot of words. We've been trying to go through "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons" but he's a little beyond some of it already. Some of it is not very challenging, but I want to make sure we don't skip & miss some of the important letter combination sounds. He does it mostly willingly if we lay on the floor or sit on the couch. I try not to push him even though he's very capable b/c while he can read a lot, I want him to see the purpose in it... which he doesn't really want right now. What 4 yr old thinks they really need to know how to read by themselves anyway! He is absolutely LOVING watching the Chronicles of Naria! We have "The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe" and "Price Caspian" & he is all about them - fighting, using swords, pretending to be Peter or Caspian. There's a scene in each where either Peter or Caspian plunge their sword into the ice/grass - yesterday Asher says "But when Peter does it, his mouth doesn't say anything." Yep, he got it right. Peter just does it without yelling, while Caspian shouts in angst while he does it. Again, so observant.

Well, I'll keep you posted on packing & stuff as it gets going. Right now, I'm just organizing & sorting, purging & giving (and hoping to sell a few things). Just over 3 weeks... I'm nervous & anxious to get out there. Daily life will be different & we've been here for a while now - both in McMinnville & in this house. I'm trying to just plug away bit by bit, but I know the actual packing part will come sooner than expected! It'll be good though. I have no clue why God is moving us or any idea what things will come next in life for us, but I'm attempting to get excited about it... hoping God will change that in my heart as well. Thanks for following, praying & encouraging!

So, after lots of prayer, searching, looking, applying & wondering, we finally found a place in Tigard that God has worked out for us to move into! It only took 6 months ;) I guess that's not really a long wait, but it was certainly a challenging time - wondering if we should or shouldn't move, looking at places & getting excited only to have it not work out. With this house, everything has gone very smoothly so far - the owners said we were their first choice & we just really feel a peace about the timing & the house itself. Mark & I are both able to finish out our church commitments with worship & bible study, so maybe that's all the wait was for.

It will definitely be a big change. We have moved a lot in our marriage (once for every year we've been married) but this is the first really big move since we've been a family - we've been in McMinnville & going to Creekside since we got pregnant with Asher. And now, this place is where we plan to be unless Mark's job situation changes drastically or we buy a house (neither of which are very likely as far as we can see). While we know people in Tigard/Beaverton & some of our best friends are just in SE Portland, we are going to a place where we don't know very many people. That being said, we're moving to a neighborhood right between Tigard & Beaverton, off of Barrows Rd/Menlor St, so if you live in the area give me a heads up!

So, June 15th is the day. If you want/need our address, shoot me an email or text. If you are looking for a roomy & beautiful 2bd place to rent in McMinnville, shoot me an email & I will refer you to my in-laws ;) It's been such a growing time for us, being in one spot with one body of believers & going through several jobs & many challenges. Wonder what awaits us in Tigard?!

Thanks to all you McMinnville people, supporting, helping & loving us - you'll be missed, but we won't be gone forever. We'll still be visiting our family often & since I have the most absolutely best hairstylist in the world, I will definitely be making regular visits back to town for that too ;) Stay in touch!

Raising boys is hilarious. Exhausting. Funny. Adventurous & such a blessing. If you don't  have boys, here's what an average morning usually includes... enjoy!

I've been reading this book recently & absolutely love it! If you have kids & you ever plan on helping them learn something, you NEED to read it!! NEED TO! :)

It's called "For the Children's Sake" written by Frances Schaeffer's daughter (Susan Schaeffer MacAulay) & it's based partially on her own experience with education, as well as principles studied & carried out by a woman named Charlotte Mason. I'm re-reading the beginning since it took me a while to get through all of it (I'm usually reading 3-10 books at a time) but I zoomed through the last half.

I'll spare you lots of details - because there are a lot of them in the book - but basically, it takes a look at the purpose of education & shows how structure can often be detrimental, how sitting in a room for 6 hours does not produce the kind of education we want to give children & how children are living beings, ready to explore & learn in fun ways. There's so much more to it than that, but you'll have to see for yourself. I'm excited to implement suggestions in my kids' lives & see them be excited to discover new things.

My favorite suggestion was how to let kids learn to enjoy art. You give them a small print, like a postcard, of a famous painting. Let them look at it & then turn it facing down. Let them tell you what they saw. Ask a few questions like "What colors did you like?" & let them share. Then, have them turn it to see the "painting" again & watch them look at it more intensely. She recommends doing this with a new painting every few months. This is something she did with her kids and as they got older, they were so excited to go to museums & see "their" paintings! There are lots of ways you can make it fun. Have them paint their own interpretation, not a representation, just what the painting looks like to them. Susan also talks a lot about not putting adult expectations on children - don't give them a coloring book where they are expected to color inside lines that adults drew. Give them blank paper to create their own masterpieces from their own imagination.

The absolute core idea to this book is that education is life. As a person, you learn your whole life. If we treat learning like a one time accomplishment that you receive a piece of paper for, that's all students will achieve. Education is a tool to enjoy life going on around us! The more we can teach little ones to enjoy seeing, learning  & exploring new things, the more they will get from life. And that's the goal right? To enjoy the life & breath that Jesus has given us, to share that joy with others! This book is obviously from a Christian perspective & there is a section on how God's truth permeates all of education. She emphasizes that teaching children about the world needs to be centered on teaching them the truth of God's creation & His loving kindness.

This books is such a wonderful balance of enjoying life & using necessary tools to work at learning skills that are useful. I have been on & off the fence about giving my kids an education at home. This book however, makes me want to do homeschool them. Not because homeschooling is easy, always fun or better (necessarily). But because it seems like an amazing opportunity to be a part of seeing my kids' minds grow in knowledge & beauty... I feel like it would be worth the sacrifice to take part in that. We'll see how I feel in the next couple years ;)

Anyway, if you are a mom at home, a dad who takes part in these kinds of decisions, or a teacher of children at any age, you really should read this book. It'll change the way you see children & life!

I think this phrase is funny. Mostly because I think most American's see "the charmed life" as a dream - house in Malibu, pool in the backyard, wonderful kids who go to private school & excel, wonderful parents & friends, nice cars, money to pay bills & do fun activities almost anytime you want, money to eat out often... what else... did I mention money? It's insane how central money is to dreams like these.

When I think about the kind of life I want, I get so distracted. I don't know what I want. I know lots of little things I don't like & a few things that I wish for, but my brain gets going & I can't help but start asking lots of other questions. Things like: What is really wrong with my life? What do I think would make it better? Is that just better in my opinion? Do I honestly think all these small changes will miraculously make me the person I wish I was? Do I even actually want to be the kind of person I wish I was?

My brain is on constant overdrive. I'm thinking all day long about lots of important & unimportant things. My weight, my appearance, my habits, my kids & their habits, our finances, our goals in life, my friends & their situations, the lost, the homeless, how hungry I am & those last 10lbs I "want" to lose... the list goes on. But every day, I seem to go around in a complete circle. Trying to find a way to make my life make sense. Trying to make my life be one that counts. Trying to figure out what that looks like. Thinking about what I think that should look like. Trying to figure out what God thinks that looks like. Trying to find a plan that accomplishes all of that. Talk about overwhelming.

Truth is, I will never figure it out. But I cannot help but feel like there is an adventure ahead that I cannot quite connect with yet or even imagine. Then again, maybe this is my own doing - maybe it's just my desire to be an important person, with amazing gifts that makes an impact to change the world - maybe it's just those things sprouting up & making me discontent, rather than driving me forward in actual service. Honestly, I spend a lot more time thinking about how I could make an impact than just being the type of person who impacts the people they are around. But there is this constant battle inside - the battle for simplicity feels like it is fighting against the battle of accomplishment (notice I said "feels," not that is actually is).

There are lots of worthwhile endeavors out there, and how am I - in my finite mind, with my finite time, with my finite energies & puny little amount of knowledge - supposed to just choose & move forward? How do I choose what to pursue? Many people say "Just pursue what God puts in front of you." Hmmm. There are lots of things in front of me. Maybe if I just tried one after the next, I would see them either fall through or flourish. But then my mind says "How can I spend all that time on something that might not work out?" So then I sit & wallow some more.

As you can tell, I am pretty melancholic. :) I'm not a very good "do-er." I have so much ambition, but haven't quite found my area to put all that ambition into. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of worthwhile things, but nothing so far has really felt quite like the perfect fit. Is it supposed to? As a follower of Jesus, my main goals are to glorify God, rest contentedly in Him & spread His love in any way I can. I definitely can accomplish all those things by being a stay at home mom, a respectful wife & an honest friend. I do believe that these tasks are most important, and if I cannot do them, I need to cross other things off my list. But right now, I see so many things in this broken world that need fixed, that I want to be a part of the fixing, but opportunities have not risen for me to participate in them the way I hope or even in ways that I am able to commit to.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not depressed or upset, I'm not intentionally trying to find fulfillment outside of God (and praying that I'm not, but rather just seeking His guidance). My goal is just to voice this yearning inside me that hasn't found a good place to shout & jump & go. I don't want to be discontent, I want to have joy (which I often do) but I also want to be a part of this big mission God has to bring people to Himself and it hasn't gone exactly the way I imagined or wished. I always think I can plan out the best way to be a part of the different things He's doing around the globe, but I continually have to leave that up to Him. Pray for me as I seek Him, as I ask for His peace & join in His mission. Pray for my family, that we will always have the same goal in mind.

I don't know that any big changes are on the horizon. Actually, there aren't any that I can even really fathom. That's fine. I just want to be an active participant & for God to give me full assurance of the endeavors I'm putting my energies into. I hate the idea of wasting my life on things that were personal ambitions, but I have to let go of my ideas & trust in the desires God puts in my heart, to pursue with abandon, trusting Him (& not myself) for the outcome. Motherhood is certainly good practice in being a servant, & I know that I can absolutely get some more practice in doing that graciously ;)

Speaking of the kids, have I mentioned that I love their ages these days? So fun! Great conversations with Asher - he's been asking what things mean, things like phrases from songs or words like "righteousness." It's such a good reminder for me to be teaching him continually, and not to wait until I think he's ready, but to reveal truth as things come up every day in life. Cole is funny. Hmm. Just funny. He pretends a lot, says things in silly voices just because & while he seems to still lack skills like blowing his nose, we're amazed at the things he picks up just from listening to Mark & I talk.

I feel so blessed to live in America & that my husband has a great job that allows me to stay home with my children, feed everyone in my house well, pay our bills & even help supply for the needs of others less fortunate. The charmed life is one I definitely live & was reminded of today. While in the drive-thru at Wendy's we saw an american flag. Asher says "Look mom, a flag!" I replied "Yeah, that's the American flag." Then he says "That's where I live!" Yep kiddo, and we are lucky. No, everything isn't perfect here, but it's a heck of a lot better than 99% of the world. I hope to always remain grateful, even when feeling a little unsure about my endeavors. At least I'm living a free life in a free place where I have so many options that I go crazy. Better crazy & free than sane & a prisoner. Thank you God for Your abundant graciousness & provision in my charmed little life! Most of all, I just don't want to waste it.

So, another health update for Asher :)

We had his follow up yesterday and the results are great! No signs of any type of infection. Also, they do some tests on the biopsies that should show signs of prolapse or other abnormal functions of the colon and his came back negative - crazy! His Dr was even surprised. At our last visit, Asher had a prolapse while using the bathroom so the Dr was able to see it with his own eyes (and he's seen a pic I had taken) so he said "It's really interesting since Asher is obviously having prolapses." But, the good news of this is that his prolapses are not causing any actual intestinal changes - whew!

So, no Chrohns or other intestinal diseases so far. I'm so grateful! Next up is doing some more thorough allergy testing. They did a small range of food allergy blood tests and Asher came back with a low reaction for Rice, Wheat, Tomatoes, Potatoes and White beans. Hmm. Taking out all of those foods would be more than difficult, so that's why we'll see the allergist, see what is worse of all those and possibly cut out one or two at a time to see if that causes any changes with his prolapses.

We may also meet with a surgeon to start looking at the possibility of fixing his issue from a purely mechanical standpoint. We might just meet to ask some more questions about what to look for (in terms of his prolapses causing damage & needing to be corrected quickly) and what the long-term looks like for Asher. Asher's specialist said that he almost never sees adults still having this issue & that usually, it corrects either as a person grows or by having it surgically fixed. So, when Mark gets back from Germany we'll chat in depth about what we want to do next. It sounds like things are healthy inside of Asher for now, so that gives us great peace of mind & a chance to make some minor changes without feeling rushed to get the problem fixed right away.

As far as the house in Beaverton goes, we ended up saying no. I'm sad but also encouraged. I have an unexplainable desire to move in that direction - not rational (some parts are, like Mark's long commute, I suppose).  I am having trouble deciphering where these desires are coming from - whether it's God leading us there or my own selfish desires. So, we've just been praying continually for God's direction. And with the house in Beaverton, what the owner was asking for us to do in order to move in was beyond the limit of what we had prayed about & decided.

All that said, life keeps moving forward! With Mark being in Berlin, Germany this week I have been a busy (and an extremely tired) woman!!! It has also reminded both of us that we need to take a vacation alone together. We have only stayed in a hotel for more than 2 nights alone once, and I was working 2 out of the 4 days and we both had family commitments the entire weekend. We never took a honeymoon and have only stayed in a hotel alone together more than one night ONCE since we got married over 8 years ago. Not to mention that even with the kids, we have only stayed at a hotel once or twice & only during trips to visit my parents... never just taking a trip to enjoy being together. So, I am excited to stay in McMinnville a bit longer in the hopes of setting aside some money for a nice trip for us, hopefully this year. There are so many places I'd love to see & take pictures of... I think I'll just be checking on Groupon a lot ;) Let me know if you have any great suggestions on places to go!

That's us for now. Both kids are missing papa this week but tomorrow they will be so happy & I'm sure bedtime will take some real work... but it'll be worth it to have my husband back! Honestly, Jesus has given me all I need (though I have not been the most gracious in accepting it) but it will be wonderful to have my husband to hug, talk with & enjoy the kids with - oh yeah, and share the discipline with too ;)

No, not the typical kiddo update, but a medical one!

Asher has an endoscopy/colonoscopy tomorrow, so today we are doing the whole "clearing the intestines" thing. Plus, he has to only have clear liquids all day - jello, popsicles, juice, soda, water. Surprisingly, he's doing really well! He doesn't often drink a ton but without the option for food, he's drinking liquids like a champ!

If you think of us tomorrow, pray! His procedure is at Emmanuel at 10:30am, should be done by 11:30am, and leaving the hospital in PDX around 1:30pm at the latest. Thankful that we have good insurance & a great Dr.

We'll keep you posted on the findings (which I should receive within a week or at his follow-up on March 1st). They basically just need to see the inside of his stomach & intestines to see what kind of inflammation and/or damage there might be going on, causing pain, sometimes blood & his prolapses. Those results will determine whether we need diet changes, medication or surgery (or possibly all 3). All are possibilities at this point.

I will post a kid update too :) Asher is learning to re-tell information really well! He has a memory like a steel trap too. He observes so much on his own, without us pointing things out & will tell us all about it later. His attitude has been very on & off lately, but the last week has been a major improvement. I'm learning to let him be his own person, trying new techniques for helping him understand my job as mom while still requiring obedience, & encouraging him in the ways God has made him different from me.  After talking with my mother-in-law & reading in a good book I realized that it's a stage for him, trying to gain his independence as a boy apart from me, his mom. When I give him credit for being different & independent from me, there are way fewer battles & I feel great fostering that "boy-ness" in him as well.

Asher enjoys running any and everywhere! He can run really fast for quite a while. He can also jump really far (boy after my own heart)!! Well, I feel like 4-5ft is pretty far for an almost 4yr old. Anyway, he really enjoys playing Candyland, reading bible stories, watching Dora & making up funny phrases & stories. He often says stuff like "Mom, tell me a story about you and your bike." Or "Tell me a story about going to the zoo." Love his little growing personality!

Last bit. We found a house in Beaverton. Our move in date is March17th. Craziness! I'm excited though. Mark and I just really feel like we need to just trust God's leading in our desire to move & step out, trusting that He's got good reasons for us moving out there. We've been praying for a while, especially praying that if we're to stay longer, God would just give us things to do here & the desire to stay, but our desire to go just kept getting stronger & stronger. Who knows, maybe this is one of those times where God just wants us to make a choice ourselves and trust that He'll use us & take care of us wherever we are. I'll give you more details on the actual house & neighborhood later...

Have a good week everyone - thanks for the prayers & I will do my best to keep you posted on Asher!

I realize I have not been posting very good updates lately - especially about the boys. They are ever growing, becoming so much more emotional (quite the challenge) and are never-ending bundles of energy. Recently, we took down the baby gate that leads upstairs, since Mark is no longer working at home & we can make all the noise as close to the upstairs as we wish. Well, for the kids, it has become their new favorite play place! They jump, climb, pretend they need saving & have all kinds of fun... and fights. So, please forgive me if I am not a bundle of joy myself today - I'm running low on optimism for several reasons :) Right now, I'm kind of in survival mode and it looks to be that way for a while. Life is not that bad, I'm very blessed & have all my needs met as well as many of my wants. Here's what life is looking like for me for the next few weeks... pray for me!

- to do in the next week: finish designing & printing 20pg booklet for women's retreat, finish designing & printing potential gifts, finish making slides for worship during women's retreat.
- February 21st - prep Asher for endoscopy/colonoscopy the next day - involves a clear fluid diet, lots of medicine to clean out his intestines meaning lots of time spent in the bathroom (while taking care of Cole).
- February 22nd - endoscopy/colonoscopy for Asher in PDX.
- February 23rd - recovery, dinner with our women's ministry before retreat
- February 24th-26th - women's retreat in Rockaway, OR - taking care of powerpoint for speaker & worship slides
- February 26th-March 2nd - Mark is taking a work trip to Germany, yes Germany.
- March 1st - Asher's follow-up giving test results, possible treatment plan, etc.
- sometime in March - making dentist appts for the whole family

I guess I'm feeling stressed b/c I know that even after all my obligations are fulfilled for Women's Retreat, I am 100% on-duty for the kids without even getting to say bye to Mark. That, and this constant up & down with moving, waiting, moving, deciding, looking at places, figuring out money, paying off bills that we have been delinquent on. I mean, we could focus on staying put & just keep paying those things off, but I'm not sure how much longer my sanity will hold up with Mark being gone for 12hrs a day, every day still knowing that eventually we will be moving. He has some other work-things going on with the other business he develops applications for so maybe that's the needle that is breaking this camels back. I'm a planner through and through, so waiting to move is torture... I figure, if we know we're going to, let's get one with figuring out all the details.

Anyway, I'm trying really hard to be excited, happy & positive about my role in all of these things... but it's been especially tough today. Things like letting the kids watch TV so I can get things done keeps making me feel guilty. I hate for them to watch a bunch of TV, but it's seriously the ONLY peace I get at home. Otherwise, kids are either fighting, talking to me, asking me questions, wanting me to do something for them, not obeying, making a mess or talking back. Add in being solely responsible for 3 full meals, laundry, cleaning, bills, errands & all the other random to-do's that come along with that and you have a recipe for exhaustion. I sure hope some of you can relate. With little boys, the attention span is smaller & their energy is incessant... just not sure how to cope today. I hate trying to take comfort in the fact that this stage won't last forever. I know it is true but that doesn't help me feel glad about being here now. I need to hunker down & trust that God knows I'm here & that there is some great purpose in it. Not just parenting my kiddos, but in shaping me for whatever is to come.

I've never been the type to want consistency or stability so much, but today, I just long for a place that is "permanent," my own, by myself where I can sleep, eat, knit, read & write without interruption and not think about everything that the next 2-4 months will be bringing my way and how it will for sure shift my world & daily life, much less thinking about all the ways it might could potentially shift our world (especially in regards to Asher). Again, this question of how to cope right now without wishing away the next 2 weeks. Pray for me! I guess that's what I really need :)

So, my good friend Kristi took me out for a WONDERFUL belated birthday lunch & dessert. She's so thoughtful! She took me to Red Hills something in Dundee, OR then, surprised me by taking me to cross an item off my "30 before 30" list - going with a friend to The Sweetest Thing in Newberg!! It was delicious. And it was so great to get to spend a few hours without kiddos, having great conversation and building our friendship even more. Kristi & I are great friends, but we don't always get a lot of time with each other, mostly due to busy schedules and commitments we both have with church (& her with her daughter's school). I was so thankful for the time this week tho, and so blessed to have such a thoughtful friend!

I follow this gal named Mandy, and she is pretty cool. Keeps me thinking about important things in life with the additional fun, stylish & entertaining posts :) She is a really neat Christian woman, helpful wife & a mom to a little sweety named Lily. You should definitely follow her blog here!

Also, she is having an incredible giveaway, using jewelry from this company. It's such a great thing - making jewelry to support hard working women in Uganda, India, Ecuador, Peru... even refugees in America! Noonday Collection - definitely take a look at their site and follow their blog! Plus, they have links to so many other organizations committed to spreading Jesus' love around the globe - amazing stuff! Below is a picture of the necklace you (or I) could win!! Please check both these blogs out and help spread the word!