Five Minute Friday: TENDER

TENDER

I first found pictures that I knew captured tender moments in this mom’s heart . . . and then began to write . . . 

start . . . 

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think the tender moments we stop and pause for, especially with our children is what Mary did when she ” . . . treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.”  (Luke 2:19) She must have paused often, when Jesus tenderly kissed her, when He said his prayers, when He helped without being asked . . . when He always loved.

As moms it’s so easy to get caught up in the busyness along with the mundane of the day.   I know when I pause to notice the tender moments, it refuels me.

To see an older teen sister take time out to have a tea party and
play paper dolls with her younger sisters, thrills my heart so!

Capturing the sweet tender moment of my 8 year old
reading to her 5 year old brother.

Older brother helping younger brother with his car.

Older sister helping youngest brother build airplane
and he announce “Heather your the best sister ever!”

 

Older sisters camping out in the barn with
their younger siblings, telling them fun stories

The undeniable tender and closeness
between twin sisters

The tender moments between father & daughter
when daughter leaves for summer camp to be a counselor.

and daddy learns to play WII with daughter who had surgery

But most of all what captures this mom’s heart,
that often brings tears to my eyes,
is seeing the tender love between siblings
and the new additions in our home,
when there is genuine joy and love
(not making fun of someone) but sharing
with each other in a tender,
treasured moment – laughter til tears come -
and love overflowing.

And I treasure up these precious tender moments,
pondering them in my heart.

Joining Gypsy Mama and her Five Minute Friday.

Faith Barista One Word: Adventure

this weeks’s word

my word for this  year

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ometimes it’s easy to get into a low, and wish that I’d have the adventures as some friends and those around me . . .  from cruises, to yearly vacations to Florida or an anniversary trip to Hawaii.  Life seems to be such an adventure for them, and  . . .  I get down and discouraged and why not me?   When is my adventure of a lifetime going to start or to look forward to?  And when my life can be so overwhelming at times for me now with the non-stop goings of our home and weddings to plan, and too many bills to pay, I know someday, I will look back at the forty years of raising children as quite the adventure, especially if my home ever quiets down (our youngest is almost 5, our oldest almost 25).  

Just think—you don’t need a thing, you’ve got it all! All God’s gifts are right in front of you as you wait expectantly for our Master Jesus to arrive on the scene for the Finale. And not only that, but God himself is right alongside to keep you steady and on track until things are all wrapped up by Jesus. God, who got you started in this spiritual adventure, shares with us the life of his Son and our Master Jesus. He will never give up on you. Never forget that.
I Corinthians 1:7 (MSG)

I really don’t need a thing!  God has blessed me amazingly with a houseful of gifts.  My dad just asked me the other day how many of our children are saved ~ know Jesus personally.  All my children, except our youngest who doesn’t quite understand, have asked Jesus into their lives.  All of our children except our youngest two have made their own personal decision to be baptized.  I don’t need an adventure filled trip around the world or a new dream home.

My adventure with Jesus has only just begun and it won’t ever end!

Renewing Our Winter Driving Lessons

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t seems if we have even a short break in winter-like weather, so many drivers forget how to drive sensibly and carefully.  I could not believe how many cars were off the road our first snowfall, and it really was not that bad.  It’s almost as though we all need to take winter driving renewal classes!  And as a mom with two kids that are new winter drivers, it can send me into a panic.  They think it’s funny that mom wants a text when they get to their destination or when they are leaving for home.  But it’s a requirement!  I also want to know the route they are taking so if they don’t get home in a reasonable time, we can look for them.  If my husband or I need to go a distance, we do the same with each other.  It’s just a safe accountability rule for us.

Recently I had to chase down one of my daughter’s boyfriends as he was leaving our driveway with her.  He had only cleared the front windshield of the car.  The rest of the windows were filled with snow!  He said he was about to put the automatic windows up and down, yet the back window was still covered.  So he heard an earful especially since my daughter was in his care!  It’s always important when getting ready to leave that all the windows are cleared of snow and ice, along with the side mirrors.  Then, once you get on the road, test it to see how it is.  Don’t just go by looks.

One of the worst things during the winter season we always need to be aware of black ice.  It’s so easy to catch us off-guard and off we go sliding and it’s hard to do the right thing in a panic.  Our first instinct is to brake, but we are suppose to get our foot off  the gas pedal and turn into the direction of the skid without slamming the brakes.  Yes, this is easier said than done!  When we know the roads are icy it’s easier to take the right actions, such as driving slowly, driving off to the right some so your tires might catch more stable ground, and  staying far enough behind the car in front and then when coming to stop signs, and red and yellow lights, well ahead of time, slow down and gently put your foot off and on the brake until you come to a complete stop.

If possible, when schools are closed and there are warnings of bad roads, try to stay home.  Cancel appointments and rearrange your schedule.  Many times a job does not allow for this so then the best way to handle icy roads is to drive slowly and cautiously. Leave plenty of room between your car and the car in front of it, and gently brake for stop signs and red lights ahead of time. Try to avoid slamming on the brakes, too, because it could lead to skidding. And beware of ice on bridges, overpasses, and seldom-used roads.

Driving defensively is a major key all the time, but more so in the winter.  Of course this includes ALWAYS wearing your seatbelt and making your passengers to do so also.  Keep blanket and fire flares in your car for emergencies, along with cat litter to help you get out of an icy area.  Encourage family members to drive carefully and be accountable to each other and aware what the other is doing.  It’s worth saving your life and your families.

“I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Esurance blogging program for 8,000 My SocialMoms Rewards Points. For more information on how you can participate, click here.” 

Information Article: Stylish Boys Clothing

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ith all the wedding shopping we are doing right now,   the one thing we have noticed over and over is that it is hard to find stylish boys clothing.  Either it’s way too mod, too bright, has skeletons all over it, or it’s just way too outdated.  Where’s the nice “Sunday dress”?  Is it even heard of anymore?  I know around the holidays, especially for Easter it seems, we can find little boy’s suits.  But after that, it’s impossible!  

Maybe I am old fashioned, but with my youngest little guy, almost five, I want to be able to have him dress up once and awhile.  He’s going to be in his sister’s wedding in the spring and possibly another sister’s wedding in the fall.  His sister wants him in nice tan suit with a matching vest and possibly a pink or blue tie.  It’s been very hard to find!  We may have to wait until Easter to find something.

Thankfully we can find little girls’ clothing quite easily.  Now what would be even more adorable is finding coordinating clothes for boys and girls together.  But, I know I am really dreaming with that one!

Information Article: Online Store Deals & Coupons

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o many are asking us how we are going to afford to pay for two weddings and a graduation party this year!  If we put it all down on paper of what we want, and the “typical” cost, we can’t!  My daughters are not going to be spending $1000 or even $500 on a wedding dress!  One of my daughters actually got her dream wedding dress for only $80!  We are buying things we find along the way that are on sale.  We are cutting corners.  We are making things ourselves.  

My daughter who is getting married in the spring is one that helps ME find coupons and coupon codes!  She is going to do wonderfully with her grocery bill!  She feels funny even registering for gifts because they will most likely be full retail price!  She has some dishes she loves at Macy’s, and has told her friends to look for Macys store deals and coupons on-line to help!  She said you can almost always find free shipping and various percentage off coupons.

The bridesmaid’s dresses and flower girl dresses are going to be a big expense for us . . . maybe.  I can imagine my daughter finding them somewhere with a great coupon, already marked down, free shipping, etc. and we will get them for a fraction of the cost.  Our oldest son married last summer, and the girl’s bridesmaid”s dresses were only $35 and our young girl’s matching dresses were under $15 each!  Yes, it can be done!

So as we plan these weddings and a graduation party, it is doing research and finding the best deals.  Some we can do on-line and get coupon codes, free shipping, free products and/or a good percentage off.  Also, shopping for off-season items certainly helps!  In the late fall we found a lot of spring flowers for over 75% off that will be perfect for her spring wedding.  We can do searches on-line for a specific item and compare it to the numerous places it is and find the best deal.

It’s work and we are the wedding planners!  But it will be worth it in the long run when we do not go into debt with these celebrations!  And we will still have just as wonderful of memories even if we had gone all out with no costs to consider.  Maybe better memories because we won’t have the panic of how to pay for it later!

In ‘Other’ Words: Tuesday’s New Quote ~ JOIN IN!

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n Tuesday will you please join us in sharing on the quote below for our weekly, In Other Words. Each week a new quote is given here, on Writing Canvas, along with who will be hosting that week’s In Other Words.

Tomorrow, Nina at Mama’s Little Treasures will be hosting In Other Words.   Below is the quote she has chosen.  Think about it ~ write about it ~ and go to her blog tomorrow and share your link and visit the others who have written about it as well.

“We are women, and my plea is
‘Let me be a woman, holy through and through,
asking for nothing but what God wants to give me,
receiving with both hands and
with all my heart whatever that is.’ ”

~ Elisabeth Elliot

Please join in!

Want to learn more about “In Other Words” ~ what it’s all about, how it works, how it originated? Click here!

Information Article: Web Hosting

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o are you still contemplating whether to start your own webpage?  It can be quite overwhelming with all that is available.  One of the biggest decisions is who is going to host your webpage.  There are so many options and price variations that it is hard to know where to go and where to start.  It sure does help if someone can do some of the work for you!

One place to begin is by finding a good web hosting rating site which gives you pretty much all the information you need.  Make sure it is current and up-to-date and has been around awhile to have a trusting reputation.  Is the price the most important issue for you?  Or is it the one that is rated the best unlimited hosting?  What other features are you looking for?  Might it be 24/7 Technical Support, 30 days or 90 days money back guarantee, free domain name or unlimited websites?  Do you one a form just to fill in to develop your webpage or do you know all the HTML formats to do it yourself?

Maybe you are totally confused as to what direction to go and just want to read through web hosting reviews by others to help make your decision.

50 Million Babies Praising Jesus

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can only imagine the awe that the first face I would see would be that of Jesus and see such glory and glorious surroundings ~ to never know pain, or the hurts of this world.  Our “little” Angela Hope went right from my womb to heaven, 14 years ago today.  It’s hard to know how to picture her.  When I meet her in heaven, will a little girl run to my arms or will Jesus put a baby in my arms?  I know it won’t matter then, and I won’t miss the dreams anymore that I had for her.  I won’t see the gap anymore between my 12 year old daughter and 15 year old daughter and wonder how close the 5 youngest girls that came so in a close row, would play and grow up together.  Instead we day dream of the little girl in heaven that celebrates Jesus every day, who has never endured a skinned knee, spanking or the emotions of feeling unloved.  She’s always known love.

Angela did not know pain. She quickly died because of a placenta abruption.  Her body was not broken apart in me or ripped out of me.  She did not feel a needle poke into her and limbs ripped off or her head punctured open.  But most of the 50 million babies, that were killed in their mama’s wombs in the last 39 years since abortion was legalized on this day, felt excruciating pain as they were being killed before birth.  No one heard their first cries or came to their rescue, until their heart stopped beating and they opened their eyes to meet Jesus face to face. And I think of the mom who lays there on the medical bed, who weeps within, knowing a part of her was destroyed.  And she seeks healing – and there is – only with Jesus who forgives and wants to care for her as He does her child.

And as I think of my little Angela Hope, I also think of the many little ones in Jesus presence, praising Him.  I imagine the sweet music like we’ve never heard.  Last Sunday we sang an old hymn and this verse caught my heart, and I wrote it down.  I thought it perfect for today:

People and realms
of every tongue
dwell on His love
with sweetest song;
and infant voices
shall proclaim
their early blessings
on His name.

Jesus Shall Reign 
by Isaac Watts 
1674-1748 

Happy Birthday Angela Hope.  Can’t wait to sing with you!

Five Minute Friday: VIVID Memories of Her Brief Life

VIVID!

start . . . 

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have few memories of her, but I have special,  vivid memories I hold on to.  I remember the first time I heard her heartbeat.  I remember various dresses I wore while I was pregnant with her.  And I remember the ultrasound that told us she was perfect and she was heart healthy.  I vividly remember wishing one day I had more time to take care of my daughter who just had surgeries before our new little one was born, and the next day she was born, but in such silence.

 I vividly remember the contractions as I drove my daughter to a post-op check-up with a frend while we had sick kids at home.  It’s still vivid, these 14 years later, in the doctors office, thinking my water broke, to find out I was hemorrhaging.  I vividly remember the peace.  There was not fear.  It did not cross my mind my baby was already in heaven.  And when they placed the scanner on my belly and could not find a heartbeat and softly told me she was gone, the peace stayed and I comforted my friend.  I remember the doctors telling me my life was in danger and they wanted my husband there as soon as possible.  My in-laws got there before my husband, and I vividly remember my mother-in-law’s shock and “oh no” when I told her the news.  And I remember things starting to fade as I went in and out of a fog and my blood pressure was bottoming out and they were pumping me full of fluids and hoping for my husband’s quick arrival.  When he finally came in the room, he  was put in immediate shock and I  was whisked away for an emergency c-section to save my life.  Before I left, I remember vividly asking my mom-in-law, “what if I don’t make it” and she told me “you have to . . . . you will.”  It’s still vivid leaving my husband who stood and stared at me, not knowing what to do and say, and we told each other that we love each other.

And it seemed minutes later I was woken up, and before I could even open my eyes I asked if she was really gone.  It probably was a last hope they just missed her heartbeat.  They told me I had a girl, she was beautiful and yes, she was gone.  I asked to see her, hold her, and soon, Angela Hope was placed in my arms.  A few weeks later the funeral home gave me her clothes she wore, including a little hat.  It was not vivid in my mind when she was handed to me, I whipped it off, and said “she doesn’t need to keep her head warm.”  I was in critical condition from all the blood I lost and the doctor stayed by my side for hours after the surgery in case he had to go back and do a hysterectomy.  When I asked this doctor whom I had never met before if I could have more children, I vividly remember him telling me “God will fill your quiver”.

The memories of holding her in the hospital are not all vivid.  But our funeral director/friend told us later to MAKE MEMORIES since they are limited and so we did, holding her, counting her toes, and taking pictures.  I vividly remember the smell of her make-up on me. I have a little bottle of it in my dresser and I still “smell her” some days.

And I vividly remember the long line of cars following behind us as we drove her little body to the cemetery, and thinking, she was born on the 25th anniversary date of Roe vs  Wade and so many innocent lives thrown away, but all these dear ones are remembering this precious brief life on earth they never knew and how we need to also remember the little ones who went to heaven with no celebration of life.  

Someday my knowing her will not fade anymore and in heaven she will be brilliantly vivid as she stands next to Jesus and her big brother, Matthew.  I look forward to that . . .

(yes, I lost track of time . . . and doubled my five minutes . . . )

This Sunday is Sanctity of Life Sunday . . . the 39th anniversary of Roe vs Wade. In the USA over 50 MILLION babies have been killed by abortion.  As we remember these precious life gifts heaven holds, I also remember the moms who have empty arms, and long for the baby in their arms that Jesus holds.  

Joining Gypsy Mama and her Five Minute Friday.

Faith Barista One Word: JOY Comes in the Morning!

this weeks’s word

my word for  the year

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even years ago at this time, I would never have thought  joy could really exist again. I began blogging after the unexpected tragic death of our 16 year old son in our home.  This is what I wrote seven years ago on today’s date

“. . . I have a hard time getting out of bed – just knowing we have to face another day, without Matthew, and seeing two sons so hurt [from a vehcile accident just 5 weeks after Matthew's death which they totaled a truck yet still thankful it did not take them] and the rest of the children still grieving and hurting, though the tears have been a little less. The boys are still all sleeping upstairs. We have not gotten much done downstairs, and the process has been slow.”

I know at that time, despite our faith, despite knowing in our hearts Matthew was heaven and we had and have the assurance we will see him again, we were still in shock.  We could not grasp joy.  It was out of reach. The night was very long.

Weeping may stay all night, 
   but by morning, joy!
Psalm 30:5 (CEB)

And slowly, the fog began to lift, and mornings were clearer to see through, and joy was there in the horizon.  Some days it quickly faded as memories, pains and grief overtook!  But soon there were more bright mornings that lasted longer throughout the day where joy remained.  And we learned more and more not to take life for granted, and the new joys were much more simple, from family time together, laughter of the little ones, and a full family table as we got more use to Matthew missing.  We learned from the child-like faith of our younger ones, who wondered why we cried so, when Matthew was not in pain and he was happier than ever.  And joys grew more with a new unexpected baby in our family and now new joys of adding children by marriage.

We still miss . . .  always will, and the final, everlasting joy will be when our family is all reunited, along with our infant daughter born still that will be in heaven 14 years this Sunday . . .  when there is no more tears, no more separations, no more death.

” . . . In Your presence there is fullness of JOY!!! “
Psalm 16:11 

What JOY that will be!

Information Article: Baby Blankets

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hen we had young babies,  one of the hardest things for me to pass by in a store without feeling was baby blankets.  I like them of sizes and shapes, different materials and for different reasons.  I especially like the little ones babies can hold onto and not drag on the floor and it’s nice to have numerous ones to use as burp clothes.  Of course, I’ve always wanted a special new  crib blanket to cover them up in each night.  My youngest who is almost five, still asks to be covered by his as his bedtime routine.  

I think I have a blanket for each of my children they had when they were little – some quilted by me and some were special gifts.  I’ve had to even recover some of the blankets that got quite warn but our children wanted to keep. When my older children were infants, I would swaddle them nice and tight in their blanket, so they were snug and secure.  With my younger children I still used blankets to swaddle them, but I also liked using baby sling.  It gave me some free hands and the baby nice and close to me and protected from his/her siblings!

 I imagine some of the blankets my children have held on to will become keepsakes, and be passed down to their children.  But, I will probably start all over again with grandchildren trying to find that special blanket.

Information Article: Rain Chains

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fter reading about  rain chains in a gardening magazine, I was real excited when I found one in an antique shop and could explain it to my children what it was and what they are used for.  If I had the money at the time, I would have bought it and hope to get one sometime in the future.  Not only is a rainchain decorative, it is also used to collect water.  Wikipedia explains how they are an alternative to a downspout and are widely used in Japan:

“Their purpose is largely decorative, to make a water feature out of the transport of rainwater from the guttering downwards to a drain or to a storage container. (Rainwater is sometimes collected for household usage.) They can be found on temples.  Rain chains are typically either a series of metal cups, chained together with a hole in the bottom of each, or chain links that span vertically.Rain water run-off gets distributed from a rooftop gutter downward through the rain chain.”

I especially like this pictured copper rain chains.  I can picture it on the corner of my house near my bedroom where we have a gutter downspout and removing that and replacing it with this.  I’ve heard that when it rains, these make a beautiful sound, first of the soft tinkling of little raindrops to the rush of water going through.  These have been used for hundreds of years as a Japanese rain chain in Japan to collect water running down from their roof, into large barrels for household water usage.  Japanese temples even use very ornate and large garden rain chains into their ornate designs.

It would be nice to have one of these near a garden to collect and save water to water flowerbeds and gardens.  It would make a great gift!

Information Article: Window Boxes

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hen my husband and I were newly weds,  our first home was just a little shoebox of a house.    It was just over 800 square feet.  It had no basement or garage, but it was perfect for us.  We brought our first two children home here.  And we loved decorating it and making it comfortable and warm.  I have such wonderful memories of wallpapering and painting our bedroom, and then preparing our first nursery.  My husband also built a nice wood deck off the back and put up beautiful window flower boxes.

I was so excited when my husband put the windowboxes up.  Maybe it was because of a good childhood memory.  My mom enjoyed her window box planters and I remember her watering them on almost a daily basis and “pinching” the flowers to keep them blooming.  And then often, my sister and I would get sprayed by the hose from her!

And now one of my daughters is getting married in the spring and she loves gardening.  I can see her trying to talk her husband into some garden window boxes!

In ‘Other’ Words: Tuesday’s Quote! JOIN IN!

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n Tuesday will you please join us in sharing on the quote below for our weekly, In Other Words. Each week a new quote is given here, on Writing Canvas, along with who will be hosting that week’s In Other Words.

Tomorrow, Urailak at LivingforGod will be hosting In Other Words.   Below is the quote she has chosen.  Think about it ~ write about it ~ and go to her blog tomorrow and share your link and visit the others who have written about it as well.

“Without the renewed mind,
we will distort the Scriptures to avoid
their radical commands for self-denial,
and love, and purity,
and supreme satisfaction in Christ alone.”

John Piper

Please join in!

Want to learn more about “In Other Words” ~ what it’s all about, how it works, how it originated? Click here!

Information Article: Walgreens vs Express Script

This is a Sponsored post written by me
on behalf of Walgreens for SocialSpark.
All opinions are 100% mine.

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ust about every day we hear of another major business that is in financial trouble.  Now I just heard about Walgreens who has gone through a possible loss of billions of dollars in sales because of ending  their renewal with pharmacy benefit manager Express Scripts, Inc. after negotiations broke down over new pricing for prescriptions. Just last year 88 million discounted prescriptions were filled at Walgreens through Express Scripts which was able to  negotiate lower prices for company, government and union health plans.  

So this leaves many customers of Walgreens now searching for a new place to find where they can get their prescriptions that are required to be filled through Express Scripts.  You can read in more detail about Walgreens and Express Script here from Associated Press.  I know with us if we got in this kind of prediction, we would be quite upset.  We have used our pharmacy for well over ten years and know the pharmacists by name and they us.  We have developed a relationship which we would not want to quickly give up.  For some customers it will mean quite a distance for them to drive to a new pharmacy location.  I can imagine especially with the elderly or those in low income brackets this causing them to neglect to get prescriptions filled.

Walgreens especially wants to help those customers who are affected by the loss of using  Express Scripts at their store so they are offering a Walgreens Prescription Savings Club.  Through the end of this month the membership cost will be $10 a year for a family membership which covers everyone in the immediate family, including spouse, dependents 22 and younger and pets. Individuals may join for $5.   After January 31st the membership cost will be   $25 for individuals and $35 for families, so it is quite a savings to join in January. Joining gives members a  discount prices on more than 8000 brand name and generic prescriptions, discounts on flu shots, pet prescriptions, nebulizers and diabetic supplies.  Plus, when you purchase Walgreens brand products and/or Nice! brand products and/or photofinishing services you will also get a discount!

As consumers, we can also support Walgreens and stay updated by liking  Walgreens on Twitter and following Walgreens on Facebook.