SuCCess

Triad Meet ~ First Place All Around!

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Phillipians 4:13

Family Memories

So we pretty much spent the weekend at home, Emma has come down with something and was running a fever all weekend. Saturday I took Lauren to gymnastics while Emma stayed home with Jason and then we spent the rest of the day relaxing. Sunday morning Lauren went to Sunday School. Emma was not thrilled that she could not go but she stayed home again with Jason and he made her hot chocolate so all was better. Since the weather was so nice we decided to rake up the leaves and let the girls jump in them! They had a blast. They would tell each other secrets and then run and jump in the leaves...so cute! I hope they forever have the love for each other that they do now!! They also had caramel apples..yum! Here are some pictures...

I had also put a roast,potatoes, and carrots in the oven in the morning. It smelled so wonderful! We also got to eat together at the table. Emma and Lauren were so excited! We don't get to eat a lot of meals together, Jason works late a lot and is coaching cross country right now and Emma has 9 hours of gymnastics a week so there is a lot of eating on the go. We really enjoyed our meal and time together!

We also did some pumpkin carving! The girls had picked out a princess kit to carve their pumpkins. Emma a castle and Lauren a carriage. This however did not go as planned. The kits had paper to trace onto the pumpkin and carve from them, it was to thin and ultimately did not work out. The girls and dad still had a lot of fun and we just went with a homeade job done by dad!

Jason took Lauren to her last fall soccer game while Emma and I got the Apple Crumb Pie ready that we had got from Deals last week. Emma was sad she missed her last game. Lauren came home with her medal she got from soccer and she was so proud!! We ate the pie with cinnamon ice cream and it was awesome!! Emma also had me cook the pumpkin seeds from our pumpkins and I couldn't get her or Lauren to stop eating them...I tried one and was not quite sure what was so great about them but they loved them! Great day to Praise God for all of our blesssings!

Deight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalms 37:4

Steering Wheel or Spare Tire??

Is Prayer your steering wheel or spare tire???

This saying really stuck with me! How often do we rely on prayer only when we need something? I have always had conversations with God. I often talk to him about things and have done this for as long as I can remember. I don't necessarily fold my hands and bow my head, but I do talk to him. I have been teaching Emma to do this as well. I often tell her that if something is bothering her she can always talk to God. One example was last week she had her first competition for gymnastics. On our drive to Des Moines I mentioned she could ask God to be with her, to give her strength and confidence. She replied " I already have!" How wonderful!
I am however a very emotional person, and sometimes my emotions react before I can talk to God. I am a work in progress!
God, please help me to think before I act, to go to you before I react, and show you through my actions. Amen

I also came across a wonderful morning prayer:

Dear Lord,

I thank you for this day as I prepare to rise and serve you. Please help me be more gentle with those I meet so the gentleness of Christ may shine through my life today. Amen.


Pray continually. 1 Thessalonians5:17

Birthday Joy

Lauren celebrated her 3rd birthday this past weekend. We started a new tradition of birthday week (doing a little celebration each day for the week leading up to her bithday) and not only had a lot of fun but it was also a great way to spend time together! I am looking foreward to having birthday week with Emma in March!

Thank you to everyone who celebrated Lauren's birthday with us! We feel so blessed to have you all in our lives!

Lauren,

You're a great "joy-giver" from God, and you've been a special gift since the day you were born. May your life continue to be blessed by Him and by knowing how much you're appreciated and loved. Happy Birthday!

The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. Psalm 126:3