20 Rules my boys will know by 18.

1. Fear God.  This is number 1 that I learned at home.   This helped me in my teen years.  Fearing God prevented me from doing stupid things. I realize now all of the pain and mistakes that I dodged all because of the Fear of God.

Here are some references:

Job 28:28 And he said to man, 'The fear of the Lord--that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.'"

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Psalm 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.

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Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

2.Love The Lord with your whole HEART.  Even my youngest who is 5 years old has the understanding that loving God more than his parents is more important.    3. Reach for every goal and dream but never stray away from God's will in your life.   4. Occupy time by contiuously educating yourself, be musical or anything that will give God the glory so he can be shared through everything you do. 5. Please God.  Pleasing people will never happen.  It's a reality!  Even mom and dad may be dissapointed at times, but God's approval is what matters.  It will be approved by God if it lines up with his word through obedience through your pastor and Godly council. 6. Never make rash decisions.  Think before you make a big purchase or a life altering choice.  Take time in prayer, council with parents and or your pastor.  Our choices can change the course for so many things in life. 7.

Fruity Baked Oatmeal

I like to think I'm eating healthy, I especially want to feel that I am doing everything in my power to feed my kids the healthiest foods that I can.  Since studying Science Nutrition, Google searching, and making friends with those who also prefer natures healing elements, I have learned and am still learning how to cook with the basic and most natural foods.  It's an exciting experiment in my kitchen just about every day as I try new things from my garden, the local farmers market, Trader Joes, and from others gardens.
 Here is my recent experiment with baked oatmeal. I've seen other recipes but have tweaked it to make it healthier for my family.
Did you know, you can use Avacados when a recipe calls for butter? I learned this from a friend, and it absolutely works! I also use unsweetened apple sauce when a recipe calls for oil.

Here's my version of baked oatmeal:
I made individual servings in cupcake holders and a cupcake pan which made 12 servings. you can also put it in a cake pan and cut it into bars.

Pre-heat the oven to 375

 2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1/3 cup local honey (local honey eliminates seasonal allergies, no allergies in our house :)
1 1/2 cup of milk (almond, hemp or cow)
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1 1/2 table spoons of avocado or unrefined cocoanut oil (other recipes would use butter)
2 tea spoons of pure vanilla extract
 
Any Chopped fruit and you can add almonds or an kind of raisins and nuts if ya really want to get creative.

I combine everything except the fruit and and add the fruit after I pour it into the cupcake cups.
 Bake for about 20-25 or until the wet ingredients are all absorbed. We like it crispy so we bake it until the edges brown.

I have a Testimony too!

      Many people have amazing testimonies.  Some people have lived through hell and have crawled out of dark places that life took them into.  Most of these testimonies that I have heard are testimonies of people who made a choice.  They chose to get involved in drugs. They chose to disobey their parents as young teens and participated in premarital sex and illicit behavior.  Some people followed their heart not knowing it was deceitful and ended up with regret.  These testimonies that I speak of have dark stories of fear, hate, depression, fame, fortune but most of all, regret. 
       Most testimonies that I have heard are not told with regretful feelings though, but with thankfulness. They are thankful for their experiences because these experiences led them to God.  People who really never knew who God was until they became desperate for a change.  I cannot speak for people with these great testimonies, but everyone that I have met and are willing to share their testimony has been able to impact others and inspire and give hope to those that needed to hear their testimony.  I admire these people who have completely changed their lives and have vowed to live for God with their whole heart and to never allow their own children to go through what they did.
     Now I am sure that if you personally know me, you may be wondering where I am going with this right?  After all, the title of my post would be conflicting because I have been told that I don`t really know how hard life really is.  After all, I`ve never been through such heartaches, I have never suffered regret, never been on drugs, or have never been a part of illicit behavior and premarital sex. How do I have a testimony if I have been raised as a spoiled brat?
                          I have actually learned to embrace this term because yes, growing up I was spoiled.  I was spoiled with Gods word being drilled into me.  My virtue was protected by my elders and my parents with harsh rules and boundaries.  I went through grade school and high school dressing modest like a lady while everyone else flaunted their goods.  I was lectured when I stopped at a friends house just to say hi and chat outside with her for a few minutes because her father was outside drinking with his friends.  I didn`t understand, but I did understand that my protection was for Gods glory and to keep me from becoming a victim to sin.  I dated. Every date consisted of a third wheel who had to be approved by my pastor and parent.  It was annoying, but it was my protection.
                       
                          I had a great fear.  This fear was not the kind that people speak of.  It was  a fear of reverence to God and my elders.  I feared to fail God and I feared to make the wrong choice that would lead me down a path full of regret.  This Godly fear forced me to make the right choices in life. It has caused me to obey my pastor and follow Gods word.  It is not a fear of bondage, but a fear of falling into bondage.  As a teenager I feared that I would marry the wrong guy, go after the wrong career and make a wrong choice.  But I was always assured that If I followed Gods word with all of my heart, if I obeyed his commandments, then my life would fall into place.  All things would work out for my good.

                         I know what I might consider a testimony sounds pretty lame. There are no gory details to draw an audience into.  Nothing really for an imaginative capitation, but my testimony is a Testimony!  I`m not bragging about being spoiled.  About being blessed, marrying the right man that God reserved for me, having a testimony with no regret.  I am bragging of Gods Grace and Mercy.  You see, it is the same Grace and Mercy that the ex-drug addict needed to find God.  It is the same Grace and Mercy that the woman who is the exact same age as me is a single mother recovering from abuse and depression because of Gods Grace and Mercy. 
                       I am not exempt of life`s heartaches.  I lost my dad when I was a teenager.  He didn`t get to walk me down the isle on my wedding day and he never got to meet his grandchildren.  I have had the pain of sorrow just like everyone else has. I have had to go through moments of desperation for one of my sons lives, just like so many have.  I have had to fight many spiritual battles for my own soul, my husbands soul and for my children's soul.  But God and his tender Grace and Mercy has always come to my rescue.  I can`t say that I will always have what I want because if it were up to me, my daddy would still be here spoiling his grand babies.  I can`t say that friends have not forsaken me, because some have because I refused to let them push me over and pull me in.   I can`t say I have everything I want because I would have a bank full of money and my kids would have a roller coaster in the back yard and I would buy my pastor a beautiful home.
                  All I am saying is, that I have a testimony too.  It`s just different, and I know others have the same testimony with a different flare.

                God is worth being faithful to.  I am forever indebted to him for keeping me from this ugly world around me.  I am thankful for my helicopter parents and pastor who protected me. The faithfulness that I have given to God, has been returned to me from him more than imagined.  This legacy that I carry WILL BE given to my children.

Deuteronomy 7:9 (ESV)

⁹ Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations,

 

Little eyes learn what they see... Marriage

   One of the most important things we can teach our children is to always seek God.  Teach them about his word, his works, his miracles  and his ways.  I believe that one of the most vital ways of teaching our children is through our relationship with our spouse. A walk with God and how we treat our spouse go hand in hand.  Our children need to see us pray and seek him.  They need to see us living according to his word.  How can I teach my children to give 10% of their earnings if I do not do it myself?  Simple things as this, children learn just from watching us.
Marriage.  Marraige is made up of God, husband and a wife.  We are and should be the number one influence in our childrens life.  Their experience of marriage is learned through us (mom and dad).  I ask myself if my children are learning how to love, be patient, be kind, honor, uplift, and see through the lenses of optimism.     

Here is a list of things that I was taught while growing up and things that I want my children to learn about marriage.

The Don't Do's:
1. Do not give your children a "perfect marriage" view.  I went into my marriage at 18 years old thinking everything was "happily ever after".  I quickly found out that there were differences and opinions and that not everything was what I thought it would be.  Marriage is work and it's ok for a child to see that there is conflict, but with that conflict, they should always see a resolution.

2. Never put each other down in front of others.  Extended family and friends should never be a venting opportunity or an opportunity to make yourself feel better about a situation.  Children see this and they will do it to their siblings and to the parent that is being put down.

3. Never talk bad about your spouse to anyone, especially to your children.  This teaches your children discretion.  Everyone has quirks.  Complaining about those quirks will give your children a free ticket to discuss personal issues and circumstances with others outside of your home. 

4. Never ever let an issue go unresolved.  By resolving issues and diplomatically taking care of business, we are allowing a relief come upon our home.  Holding onto "things" leaves a child with question as to "what's gonna happen".  We are responsible for making our children feel safe and secure.  When a child sees that there are issues and circumstances going on and they can see that we trust God and can show them that everything will be alright, they are that much more secure.

5. Shouting and blaming should never be done in front of children.  It's ok for them to see and feel tension as long it is resolved in a manner that is safe, secure and adult like. Childish behaviour should be left to the children. 

The Do, Do's:
6. Prayer is and should always be number one. I have always heard this saying since I can remember: "A family who prays together, stays together." Children should see us take our petitions to God. They should see that we trust God with all of our hearts in everything that we do and that we can go to him in times of difficulty.

7. Respect each other.  Respect allows a spouse to view the other's point of view and values their thought process and ideas.  With respect comes kind words and consideration.

8. Laugh with your spouse.  Being married and having tons of responsibilities does not mean that you cannot have fun.  Play fair tricks, and pranks, and always laugh.  It involves the children and teaches then that in the midst of responsibility and life, you can still have fun.

9. Compromise.  Work together to get things done and to please each other.  I can't always have what I want when I want it.  I normally have to wait for it to go on sale and sometimes I completely miss out.  This is because we cannot afford most of the stuff that I like. Ha!  It's OK though because he has to compromise a whole lot himself.  We have to work together.  This teaches our kids to share their toys, time, and overall teaches them that life is not about "me", but about getting along and making things work for everyone.

10. Show lots of affection to each other.  Kiss, hug, hold hands, squeeze and call each other pet names.  It's OK to gross out the kids.  One thing I can remember is my parents always showed affection to each other.  Ya, it was gross sometimes, but it always assured me that mom and dad were in love.

Bonus for the ladies:
11.  Be his helpmate!  Boys become men because we help them grow.  My husband was 20 when we were married.  Neither of us knew anything about life, work and responsibilities.  Helping him will keep him together, organized and it makes him look good.  His mama will raise him as a child, but you will raise him to become a man and vise versa.  We help each other bring out the best in our individual selves when we work together.  Our children see this. 

What better life can we give our children than a home that they can come to when they become adults and without asking for advise, all they will have to do is remember.

Let it snow Tutorial

Confession time!  I will have to admit that I enjoy art and craft time with my boys.  I normally quickly give the boys their instructions and let them have at it.  I immediately gather my materials and quickly get to work on my own fun craft.   Here's what I whipped up after Thanksgiving.

 

These snow flakes are Awesome!  I simply made them out of popsicle sticks and oversized popsicle sticks. I used my imagination, I used hot glue, painted the the snow flake, glittered them while the paint was wet and let it dry.  Thats it!   I made some for my neighbor and she hung hers from fish string in her porch in front of her door and they look absolutely glorious!  Mine are throughout the house looking pretty.  I have recieved so many compliments on them, but since I am done decorating for the winter, I have stopped offering to make them for others.  I simply tell them how to make them themselves.. HA!  What do you think?  

 

The adventures with the brown Elf on the Shelf

Our first night with our Elf! He finally showed up today with his book from Amazon.com... He had a book that he brought to the kids. It was quite magical from the start. He sat on our piano with the book before Adam spotted him. Immediately he let out a squeal and his brothers came running to see the fuss. "a little elf" They shouted. Jacob read the book and immediately the magical moment of anticipation began. We immediately rushed out of the door to pick up our Christmas tree. I snuck the elf & now here he is... Sipping on our Italian sodas Torani Lime flavor. Can't wait for the kids to find him in the morning!! Eek!!

Easy Growth Chart to last Forever!

I will make a super long story short, and give short and simple directions so you can make your own. 



Story: Our sweet neighbor needed help rebuilding a small fence. My sweet husband offered to help and well, since he has a truck, he kinda got stuck with all of the scrap wood and it was obvious that he would have to take it to the dump. It was a gold mine for me! I picked out the pieces that I wanted and off to the dump he went. Wait!! before I let him go, I posted the free wood on craigslist.. most of it was gone within 2 days. I posted all of the ideas that I had that people can do with it (make a bench, a star, a growth chart and so on) this may have helped get rid of it. The End!
I was saving this piece for a bench, but decided to use it for my Growth Chart.

here are the simple steps.

1. Steal a ruler from your kids homschool room. You will need a 1 foot ruler.

2. measure 1 foot and mark it with a sharpie. Mark it lightly or it will bleed.

3. Aftner I measured and marked all the feet, I measuredand markd all of the 1/2's.

4. Then I measured 2 inches and marked.

5. I went back with my sharpie and measured from the edge of the board 3 inches to mae the line.

6. the 1/2 foot mark was measured 2 inches,

7 and the 2 inch marks were measured 1 inch.

(These are the lines drawn across). 1 foot 3inches. 1/2 foot 2 inches and 2 inches 1 inch.) I hope this makes sense!!

Then I painted with Eggshell white paint from Lowes. I used a fine tip brush.

After it dried, I stapled my stencils where I wanted them and painted my numbers.

 

Now the hubby will be sealing this to prevent splintering. This is a very old piece of wood and it will definitely splinter.

 After it is sealed, I will use a sharpie on Thanksgiving day and on the left side I will mark the date, kids name and height.

I will Keep this forever!

What do you think??

If you can't get an old piece of wook like I did, you can find a new piece of fence wood at Lowes or Home Depot.  They run between $2.00-$8.00.. Paint it, distress it and make it your very own for your unique family.