Monday, March 30, 2009

Sweet Anointing

A beautiful song we sang at Church... my prayer for this week...

***


Sweet, Sweet Anointing, pouring down to make me clean, like a mighty rushing stream, sweet, sweet anointing, pouring out the oil and wine all over me.


Just one touch, of the hand of my Jesus, dipped into the oil of the Holy Ghost, it will sooth all my fears, wipe away all my tears, it's the anointing that I need the most.

Sweet, Sweet Anointing, pouring down to make me clean, like a mighty rushing stream, sweet, sweet anointing, pouring out the oil and wine all over me.

And now we lift our hands unto the father, send forth rain upon this dry and thirsty land, all my sins please forgive, give me life that I might live, let me feel the touch of your anointing hand.

Sweet, Sweet Anointing, pouring down to make me clean, like a mighty rushing stream, sweet, sweet anointing, pouring out the oil and wine all over me.

Friday, March 27, 2009

Our week in pictures

We started our week out by working on some fun projects.


My little man helping with his little sister who was still not feeling good.


Then we got hit with a blizzard but it did not stop the kiddos from having fun.


I don't think we've had this much snow at once since moving here but it was fun!


The snow was peaceful and lent itself to a quiet evening...  
candles lit, books read, games played...  all was good.




Have a peaceful weekend, my friends.
Carrie

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

The Silly Things They Say

The kiddos keep us on our knees...  They bring joy and smiles to our faces...   and somewhere along they way they say the funniest things, causing us to stop and laugh....


****

Hey Mom, it's hot and cold outside!

***

Faith: Hey Benjamin are you asleep
John-John: He's asleep Faith
Faith: Are you asleep, John-John?
John-John: No

***

Said Kid: Where is Olivia?  Did she go back into your tummy?
Me: Umm....  no!?!?  You're a silly goose, that's for sure!!

***

My sweet girl, looking at a book, "reading" her own story:

Once upon a time...  when you were married, a daddy kissed a mommy...

***

Monday, March 23, 2009

Looking up in joy

Ma was so pretty, in her brown-and-red Christmas shawl, with her brown knit hood tied under her chin, and she stepped so quickly and looked up at Pa so merrily that Laura thought she was like a bird.  
Laura Ingalls Wilder                                                                                             On The Banks Of Plum Creek


We read this the other day and it's had me thinking of my Love...  pondering my role as his wife...

what do others see when they see me look at my beloved? Can they see how much I love him, how much I appreciate him, respect him and just love being with him?  Is joy on my face?   Do they know that he is truly my best friend and the love of my life?  

It's so easy to just deal with the everyday things... to give him the problems right when he walks in the door, to focus on other people when we are in a crowd, to show more love and affection to friends or our children.  

But there is a different way.

I want my eyes to shine bright when I see him, a smile on my lips that flows from my heart, love in my words, laughter on my tongue...  I want it to be genuine, not a fake show, but the showing of a deep love that flows forth from my heart...  I want him to know that my delight is in him and I want others to see it too.  



So, my project for this week...  to put away the other, everyday *things* that will need dealt with and instead I want to make sure that love is flowing from my heart, being expressed to my love...  God has blessed me with an amazing man and I want him to know how much I appreciate him. 

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

It's been a year...


It's been a year since I began this crazy journey.  I started my blog as an alternative means to journal about our family life.  I've always kept a journal...  sometimes handwritten and sometimes on the computer but for some reason I wanted to do something different for a season and so our journey began at dumptrucksandteacups.blogspot.com.  

I remember the day after I signed up and did my first post, I was sitting with my sister and decided to show her what I had done.  We both sat there and laughed.  I didn't know if it would last, if it would take too much time away from my family, causing me to revaluate or maybe I just would not enjoy it...    
 
I didn't realize though that along the way I would find some really special friends and I love that it is something that I can share with my Mom and my Sister.

While I don't drink coffee, I still enjoy spending time with my friends at a coffee shop enjoying tea of an iced chai.  Kinda funny, don't you think?! But, I love the encouragement....  the challenge...  the life that comes from our time together, whether it is from talking on our roles as wives and mothers, or discussing the Word of God.    That's why I appreciate you.  You challenge me and encourage me in this journey.   


Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.
Proverbs 27:17

Thank you for helping sharpen me. 


Thank you for being a friend.


 


Tuesday, March 17, 2009




 Happy St. Patrick's Day!






My Mom is a second generation American, having both sets of grandparents immigrate to America from Ireland.   I grew up hearing such fun stories from my Mom's family...  stories of plates dancing on the walls, leprechauns and of the family castle in Ireland. Growing up we would always have fun on St. Patrick's Day...   we would wake up with leprechaun's gold dust in our room and end the day with a corn beef meal. 


My Aunt and Uncle have showered us with some special goodies for today!  Fun hats, cute hair bows and warm socks have been loved today. (Thanks guys, We love you!)  We were suppose to enjoy the traditional St. Patrick's Day meal tonight but we're still trying to decide if our little man's tummy is up for it.   Oh how my boys love corn beef!










Monday, March 16, 2009

A time for refreshment

The plans had been made, actually they were made completely separate of one another and yet at the exact same time and for the exact same location.  We gave it to one another as a Christmas present and just laughed.  I guess we really needed the time away.  How fun it would be.


...time to rest, quiet, peace, joy, laughter, a time for dreaming...  


Our time to get away finally came this last weekend.  We packed.  Our little ones packed (I think for a week), got sleeping bags ready, gathered the food they wanted and they were ready to head off to Grandpa and Nana's.   We were on our way.


We are so, so thankful for the time away.  We enjoyed beautiful weather, 
breathtaking scenery, and the refreshment that being away can bring.  


We are so thankful for a Grandpa that builds forts and a 
Nana that sleeps on the floor with her granddaughter.   


We are thankful for a safe trip and thankful for safety over our kiddos.


We came home to life in full swing...  kiddos sick with colds and kiddos sick with the flu...  a car that is now at the dealership needing to be repaired...  


We're thankful that He has promised to take care of our every need.


Today found the kiddos resting, laying on blankets outside while being read to, enjoying the fresh air and being able to watch special movies.    One little man did not move from the couch all day except to spend an hour outside lying on the blanket, listening to mama read.  

I have a feeling that tomorrow will be more of the same...  but that's okay because there's still so much to be thankful for.




O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Psalm 107:1


Spilling Him

If a sudden jar can cause me to speak an impatient, unloving word, then I know nothing of Calvary love. For a cup brimful of sweet water cannot spill even one drop of bitter water, however suddenly jolted. 
Amy Carmichael



praying for this week...  the jars will come this week, I don't know how and I don't know when but I know they will come, so then the question becomes,  how will I respond... what will spill from me?  

I want my cup to spill Him...  to spill His sweetness, His love, His patience, His gentleness, His joy...      but I need the Lord every moment.

I can not do it in my own strength.  

I need the Lord every moment.  

Friday, March 13, 2009

Our week in pictures


Thankfully my sweet little girl's eye is doing much better.  
The stitches are out and I don't think she'll have that big of a scar!

***



We celebrated a very special birthday



and everyone had a lot of fun!

***


The water was freezing and I think he was crazy but he was having fun.  
Weather wise we went from this...



to this

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Have a wonderful weekend!

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Granola Bars

It's funny that I've had the recipe for four years and yet I just never got to trying it.  I actually can't believe I saved it for that long but whenever I saw it I was always reminded that I wanted to try to make my own granola bars and so it would find its way back into my recipe binder. Finally, two weeks ago I decided to make them and they only lasted for 36 hours.  I think that is their way of telling me that they loved them.  :)   Thankfully they are so easy to make...


Granola Bars

2 cups rolled oats
3/4 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup wheat germ
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup flour
3/4 cups raisins
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup honey
1 egg, beaton
1/2 cup oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract



DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Generously grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.

2. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, brown sugar, wheat germ, cinnamon, flour, raisins and salt. Make a well in the center, and pour in the honey, egg, oil and vanilla. Mix well using your hands. Pat the mixture evenly into the prepared pan.

3. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until the bars begin to turn golden at the edges. Cool for 5 minutes, then cut into bars while still warm. Do not allow the bars to cool completely before cutting, or they will be too hard to cut.

*I've added chocolate chips (very yummy!!) and I was thinking about adding flax in next time. 


Enjoy! 

Friday, March 6, 2009

Cultivating Modesty From Within

I saw a treasure chest, beautiful and intricately carved with rich gold and many jewels on it.  As beautiful as the outside was the inside was filled with the most precious and rare jewels of all types. This was a gift for a groom at the wedding, more costly than all else and more to be desired than any other gift. I saw two brides-one would carelessly open her treasure chest and grab a handful of gems and give them to whomever she fancied over the years while the other bride took such care of her chest and kept all the contents safe. The year came for the brides to give their grooms the chest but the one who had given so many of her treasures away, I noticed, the beauty of the chest had diminished so that it was ordinary while the bride who had cared and protected hers presented her groom with a beautiful chest. When the first groom looked at the chest, he was puzzled because it was just an ordinary box and as he opened it there was nothing inside while the second groom took his in awe and gazed at his wife. Slowly he opened it to find that all that were originally placed were still there and he was touched beyond words.

You see the treasure chest represents the bride-all the purity that she is born with; her hugs, love, loving looks, kisses and touch were the jewels on the inside that she had kept safe for her husband. 


My Mom shared that story with us again and again as my sister and I were growing up.  It was a story that impacted me, taught me, molded me.  I remember being around 8 or 9 and seeing a girl that lived in our neighborhood that was in 7th grade kissing a boy and running to my Mom and yelling, "Mom, Mom, Tara is giving away her jewels."  

My Mom's story gave me such a vivid picture of what we possessed and the importance of it, so much more than any list of what to do and what not to do ever could have.  She romanced our hearts and gave us a picture of the beauty that we possessed and through that we were able to grab hold of our own purity.  We valued it...  we treasured it... and then a natural modesty flowed forth.

I'm just beginning the journey of raising two little girls and yet already I find myself so aware of the need to cultivate modesty and purity in their lives.  Yet, it's not just the importance of being modest, I want to cultivate their modesty from within.   My heart's desire is to see them grab hold of what they possess, to understand the importance of cultivating a quiet spirit...  

I want them to understand the art of modesty, the beauty of purity and the amazing journey of walking as the king's daughter.

All glorious is the princess within.
Psalm 45:13


So, today we are teaching them the importance of wearing modest clothes, watching what we do with our legs when we are in a skirt or dress, talking of the importance of modesty and purity in our lives, but I'm not stopping there...

***

Book and stories have a way of teaching us... taking us down a path... romancing our hearts...
Faith and I have fallen in love with these books and continue to read them again and again.




 
God's wisdom for little girls is so precious.   It follows Proverbs and teaches little girls how they should act.  While it does not focus on modesty and purity, it does focus on issues of the heart.










We've fallen in love with the Princess Kiss.
It is the story of a princess and her journey to getting married, saving her kiss for her husband...  it reminds me of my Mom's story in many ways.  Faith loves the pictures, loves looking at the princess and all of the silly guys.   When we are done reading, we always talk about our treasure chests.






Modesty is not only an ornament, but also a guard to virtue.
Joseph Addison


***
On a side note, Joy over at SAHMissionary, is hosting a modest fashion week and I know it will be wonderful.

***


I'd love to hear if you have found some good resources.  

Wednesday, March 4, 2009


Life as a mom is a beautiful, sweet journey.  I'm learning and growing.  God is at work and there is joy as we see His hand at work in the midst of storms.   I'm thankful we are here, in this moment, thankful that we are on this journey.  Yet, I am not walking this journey alone.  There is someone beside me and I love him deeply.  

I know that being a stay-at-home mom, helping him with different work projects and homeschooling takes up so much time.  These are ways that I daily serve him, daily show him love and I'm thankful, so thankful to be walking on this journey with him. 

But my roles as mother, teacher, helper can still become a distraction to my role as a wife and I don't want to loose sight of who I am walking through this journey with.  

I want him to know how much I love him... how much I appreciate him... how thankful I am for him...

So, today my focus, my priority, is to find a unique way to show my husband love and to just make him smile....  

  
Will you join me today?


Monday, March 2, 2009

It's been a long day for my little one.  

We were enjoying a nice lunch outside today, basking in the warmth.  I'm not sure fully what happened - either she was trying to climb up onto a little kid's chair or she fell down right by it but there was a lot of crying and she ended up with a nice cut right above her eye. 

Thankfully Daddy was home and Grandpa and Nana were able to come over to watch the other kiddos.  We headed off to an urgent care only to find out the Doctor did not feel comfortable working on a little one.  After listening to her suggestions about where to go and what to ask for, we headed off to the emergency in the next city.   

I was extremely happy with the care we received while there.  They were quick (as quick as you can expect for an emergency), gave a cute little stuffed puppy to her and were sensitive to her needs.   I didn't get queasy seeing the blood or watching the stitches being placed but it's always hard for a mama to see her little one scared and crying out in pain for mama while wrapped up like a burrito.  

Four stitches and several hours later found us on our way home.  The whole crew was tired and it was now time to work on dinner...

The house is now quiet and I think it's time for this Mama to get some sleep.  Olivia seems to be doing better...   she was a little tired and only wanted Mommy to hold her.   I don't blame her.