Happy Birthday Jared!

Happy 8th Birthday to my big boy, Jared. We are so thankful for Jared. My life was so different before I had you, and having you change my whole life for the best and saved my life as well! Jared is so smart, reading really well, spelling BIG words, sassy at times, loves Jesus, loves his friends, can build a serious lego ship, loves being with family, and can make you laugh till your side hurts. He can be stubborn, but has the biggest heart for people! Nana is looking down on you today and I know she is so proud! 

Jared 7 yrs, 6 months, 3 days old

                                              A silly 2 min photo shoot with Jared

Favorite Foods- Pepperoni Pizza

Favorite Color - Black mixed with eco green.

Favorite Place to Go - Science Spectrum

Favorite Place to visit: Bethany's house..( his cousin)

Favorite Thing to Do - Play legos - ninjago

Favorite Sweet Treat - Chocolate layered cake with vanilla icing

Favorite T.V. Show - Johnny Test

Favorite Movie -Wizards of Waverly Place the Movie

Favorite Song - Christmas on Candy Cane lane

Favorite Restaurant - Pizza Hut

Favorite Clothes -Ninjago shirt with pants and belt

Favorite Shoes - Heelies

Favorite Hairstyle - Mohawk 

Favorite Book - Masters of Spinjisu

Favorite Animal - Lion

Favorite Bible Story - David slays the Lion

Favorite thing to do at school - Field Day

Favorite thing to learn at school - Reading

Favorite place to go after school - Sonic

Favorite Friend - Isaiah and Jacob

Attitude of Gratitude 215-230

215. Thankful for homemade creamy mash potatoes.
216. Thankful for Kari Jobe's music. So anointed! I tend to wash more dishes when praising Jesus with her praise music on.
217. Thankful for rain this past week.
218. So thankful for diary queen blizzards.. those are such a treat for me. I try to make them a rare treat.

219. Thankful for yummy Jalapeno cheese burgers from Whataburger.
220. So thankful that our family had a chance to go with 18 kids and 4 other sponsors to church camp in Dallas back in July. We had a great time and so thankful to our church for the opportunity.
 

221. SO thankful that we know have health insurance through my job, taking full advantage of that.

222. Thankful for a clean bill of health from my last "female" doctor visit. (Maybe TMI, but my mom's history of health, you would want to share as well.)

223. Thankful for a midday nap, especially when I have to get up so early in the morning. (4 am)

224. Thankful for enough money to buy school supplies and school clothes.

225. Thankful that we have been able to sell a few things on the online trading post and buy a few things especially clothes for the boys.

226. SOOOOOOOOO thankful for my job right now. My husbands unemployment just officially ended and thankful that all bills are covered with my job. We may not have as much income as we used to but that doesn't matter, we are taken care of, and that is what matters.

227. Thankful I got to be apart of my son's activities at the end of his school year, both of them, especially seeing AJ graduate from Pre-K.

228. So thankful for the miracle God provided for the Brown family. Little Lexie Brown is only 2 mths now and just came home after having open heart surgery last Monday. She was in the hospital for 5 weeks, and very critical in the beginning. She is doing well at home with her parents. 

 229. Thankful we got to have a fun day with my good friend Steffanie and her boys this summer at her friend's place. We had a great time together, I am so thankful for our friendship as well.

 230. I know I might of said this one before, but I am so thankful for my Momma D below here. I have known her since I was a young teen in San Antonio. She has been so helpful and so loving to me and my family.

Happy Homemaker "Tuesday"

The weather in my neck of the woods:
Little chilly but the sun is out!

Things that make me happy:
Getting to spend extra unexpected time with my hubby.

Book I'm reading:
Finishing Choosing to See and have a few others that I want to start.

What's on my TV today:
Brothers and Sisters

On the menu for dinner:
not sure yet

On my To Do List:
Sweep and Mop the floors
Finish the laundry
Change bed linens
** My list is the same Sandra**


New Recipe I tried or want to try soon:
I wanted to make a healthier chili with less of a tomato base to it. I gave it a whirl last night and it was so delicious in a more healthy way. I just made up the recipe and tasted as I went. I am trying to do that more these days, I used to cook and never try what I was making while I was doing it.

In the craft basket:
I finished the baby blanket I was making. Now I am going to start a new baby blanket and a few baby beanies.

Looking forward to this week:
Being more productive and praying my sons recurring headaches go away!

Tips and Tricks:
When I wash all the glasses/silverware I don't put them all back up in the cabinet I put some away and only leave out what is needed. I don't have a dishwasher and washing everything by hand takes for ever. I know the less I have available the less to wash and dishes are done more often without fuss from me.

My favorite blog post this week:
http://www.profoundlyseth.com/2011/01/fool-me-once.html
El over at Profoundly Seth was able to share her heart once again with honesty and grace and Gods honors that for sure!

Blog Hopping (a new discovered blog you would like to share with the readers):
I have been exercising more now and have really been watching what I have been eating AND drinking. It is not a diet but a lifestyle change. I found this blog link from Women Living Well. It is called Peak313 Fitness. I love how she incorporates your spiritual health with your physical health.

No words needed (favorite photo or picture, yours or others you want to share):



Lesson learned the past few days:
You have walk the walk not just talk the talk.

On my mind:
Thankful for making more time to pray with my husband more often.


Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:
No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
1 Corinthians 10:13

Happy Homemaker Monday

I link up with Diary of a Stay at Home Mom every Monday for Happy Homemaker Monday. Check it out! I love her crochet projects and food.

The weather in my neck of the woods:
not bad.. just a little chilly


Things that make me happy:
That the holidays are over.. we had fun, but now back to normal. Getting extra time with Gabe over the weekend.

Book I'm reading:
Finishing Choosing to See by Mary Beth Chapman

What's on my TV today:
dumb stuff

On the menu for dinner:
popcorn and apples.. break from cooking

On my To Do List:
finish the never ending laundry.. and finish putting away Christmas decorations and get boys ready for school tomorrow..

New Recipe I tried or want to try soon:
we have been eating more different kinds of fish for dinner.. and my hubby has been doing the cooking when it comes it fish.. and it has been so good..

In the craft basket:
I am still working on a baby blanket.. even though I ran out of off white caron yarn and now waiting for my ever slow walmart to get more in.. and now working on a new blanket and it might just be for me for once.. I have never kept anything I made.


Looking forward to this week:
The boys going back to school.. and my speech delayed son showing his teacher how much he has learned and started to say over the holidays..

Tips and Tricks:
Call people on their birthday and not just leave them a Happy Birthday on their facebook wall. It is so much more personal!


My favorite blog post this week:
Don't have a new one this week. Still having fun with the iCrochet from last week.


Blog Hopping (a new discovered blog you would like to share with the readers):
I discovered this one awhile back, and I wanted to share it now.
I hope to have a baby girl one day but until then I like looking at the hairstyles for little girls and also us ladies as well.

No words needed (favorite photo or picture, yours or others you want to share):


It is my dad's 60th birthday today. This is him with my boys playing in the indoor pool last week after we had our Christmas celebration with him and my step mom.
Happy Birthday Dad, you are one handsome 60 year old. We love you!


Lesson learned the past few days:
To always take advantage of the time you have with your family.

On my mind:
My little one that is almost 4 is coming along and doing so great. He is delayed in a few areas and he has shown so much improvement in the past few weeks. He even for the first time today sang Happy Birthday all the way through to my Dad, his Papa.

**Also a sweet young lady that is missing from a town near by and friends of ours know her and her family personally.**



Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6
I learned the meaning of this big time last week.

Happy Homemaker "Tuesday"

**I missed it yesterday, so I decided why not today** (Happy Homemaker Monday)

The weather in my neck of the woods:
Actually cold for once..

Things that make me happy:
Getting to see my hubby come home from work today. It was a surprise, he wasn't coming home until tomorrow night.

Book I'm reading:
Choosing to See by Mary Beth Chapman. - Learning alot, especially about grieving a loved one and "choosing to See."



What's on my TV today:
Food Network some today

On the menu for dinner:
My potato soup that I threw together with whatever sounded good and it was yummy along with the fresh pinto beans I made after they soaked all night. I was also in the baking mood. I made Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie and homemade brownies.


On my To Do List:
Organized Jared's closet and went through all his books and gave a bag of them away to our neighbor. He has so many, we are blessed. I am forever tackling the laundry.

New Recipe I tried or want to try soon:
Southwest Dip by Paula Dean and Grilled Corn Salad, I saw both on Food Network today.

In the craft basket:
New Baby Blanket that I am doing and I just finished two crocheted hats for my nieces Christmas' gifts.

Looking forward to this week:
Got to visit with my Brother and SIL for 2 hrs yesterday on their way home and my dad and step mom are stopping by tomorrow for dinner and a late Christmas for my boys.


Tips and Tricks:
You tube video tutorials for crocheting. I am a visual learner and I have have already learned more from that then a pattern in a book that is hard to read.
Art of Crochet by Teresa is my favorite.


My favorite blog post this week:
I always enjoy Women Living Well I am encouraged and held accountable for my spiritual growth daily.

Blog Hopping (a new discovered blog you would like to share with the readers):
A new food blog that I just love and have already made quite a few of the recipes there. An added bonus Janelle that is the host of the blog is so kind and encouraging to her readers.


No words needed (favorite photo or picture, yours or others you want to share):

**My kids were on the front page of the newspaper today in this picture** way cool

Lesson learned the past few days:
It is okay to say NO and put your immediate family first before others.

On my mind:
My extended family is getting together this weekend for our Boerger Christmas over the New Years holiday and we are not going for the first time in my entire life and first time in our marriage. Their are different reasons and I know it was the right choice. I am sad but glad at the same time because as a family, we are in a different season as the rest of the Boergers are, and we needed to take a step back.

Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses: or Testimony..
God spoke to my husbands heart last week to take a few days off since he works out of town and we don't get to see each other a lot. Keep in mind Gabe is occurring vacation but can't use it till he hits a year. I didn't know he was going to do that till the time came. God let him know that we would be fine and know that He is in control.
My flesh was showing big time since I do all the bills, I was honestly stressing how was I going to make such a small check work. Well I stopped stressing and trusted the Lord and went about my day. Well an unexpected PAID photo shoot came along that I did and then I received an unexpected generous Christmas check in the mail. It more or less totaled what we were going to missing from his check. God knows what he is doing.
We had good family for the most part. Gabe and I got sick with a head cold and I was so glad he wasn't having to work with that darn thing because it wiped the energy out of you. He would of worked through it and not called in or anything and it would of taken him longer to get over it. Choosing to See and Trust!