I was tagged!!

Ok, I was tagged by DeeDee, and I also had no idea what a "meme" was so I also looked it up on google!


1. What kind of soap is in your bathtub right now? Suave bodywash and some kind of moisturizing bodywash

2. Do you have any watermelon in your refrigerator? No, Paul wouldn't eat it!

3. What would you change about your living room? I would like to add a picture over my couch.

4. Are the dishes in your dishwasher clean or dirty? dirty

5. What is in your fridge? leftover chicken corn chowder from last night, salmon that I am cooking tonight, and all our normal staples

6. White or wheat bread? wheat, and DeeDee I also love that whole grain bread from Panera

7. What is on top of your refrigerator? a birdhouse, a mug stand with mugs, and some vinegar and cooking wine

8. What color or design is on your shower curtain? have a door


9. How many plants are in your home? 6 real ones, and many fake ones


10. Is your bed made right now? it was until my boys took a nap and I did too!


11. Comet or Soft Scrub? Soft Scrub


12. Is your closet organized? Yes!! I just went through it 2 weeks ago, it looks wonderful!!

13. Can you describe your flashlight? a surefire that is very powerful; one of James' friends brought it to me when he came to visit, now isn't that nice?

14. Do you drink out of glass or plastic more at home? glass.

15. Do you have iced tea made in a pitcher right now? no, I drank it all yesterday, but I will be making some more soon

16. If you have garage, is it cluttered? only on one side, my car can fit in but the other side is filled with the boys riding toys, strollers, etc.

17. Curtains or blinds? Blinds, with curtains in our bedroom, the boys bedroom, and their playroom. We just added curtains to our bedroom and it is wonderful, at night they make the room sooo dark, wonderful for sleeping

18. How many pillows do you sleep with? One.

19. Do you sleep with any lights on at night? no

20. How often do you vacuum? usually on Mondays and whenever my boys require that it must be done

21. Standard toothbrush or electric? Standard.

22. What color is your toothbrush? I am not sure, and I don't want to go look right now

23. Do you have welcome mat on your front porch? yes

24. What is in your oven right now? nothing, but in a little while some salmon will be cooking, yummy!


25. Is there anything under your bed? 2 storage boxes but that is it

26. Chore you hate the most? cleaning our shower and any toilets

27. What retro items are in your home? they have all been donated to Hannah Home

28. Do you have a separate room you use an an office? yes.. our upstairs loft area, it is wonderful

29. How many mirrors are in your home? eight

30. Do you have any hidden emergency money around your home? not at home but somewhere else that I am not telling anyone

31. What color are your walls? Mostly tan, our foyer and dining room is green, the boys playroom is yellow, and the upstairs bath is a different green, real light and pretty

32. What does your home smell like right now? apple cider

33. Favorite candle scent? kitchen spice

34. What kind of pickles are in your refrigerator right now? claussen dill spears and homemade sweet pickles from my Aunt Marie, they are wonderful!

35. Ever been on your roof? no

36. Do you own a stereo? yes, we have 2. We have mine from my childhood, I think I got it in the 8th grade, and one we purchased after we got married.

37. How many TVs do you have? one

38. How many phones? 6 (but 2 came with an extra base and 2 corded), plus our 2 cell phones

39. Do you have a housekeeper? Tricia

40. What style do you decorate in? not sure

41. Do you like solid colors in furniture or prints? solid with print or floral accents pillow or throws,

42. Is there a smoke detector in your home? yes, it seems like they are everywhere, but I guess that is a good thing.

Ok, I don't think Darlene has responded to her tag from DeeDee, so I am also tagging you Darlene!!

Encouragement from the Living Word!!

The following scripture is from my quiet time this morning. The Lord so sweetly used it to encourage, comfort, and strengthen me; and I just wanted to share it with you:

Psalm 138:2-3; 6; 8 (Amplified Bible)

"I will worship toward Your holy temple and praise Your name for Your loving-kindness and for Your truth and faithfulness; for You have exalted above all else Your name and Your word and You have magnified Your word above all Your name!
In the day when I called, You answered me; and You strengthened me with strength (might and inflexibility to temptation) in my inner self.
For though the Lord is high, yet has He respect to the lowly [bringing them into fellowship with Him]; but the proud and haughty He knows and recognizes [only] at a distance.
The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, endure forever - forsake not the works of Your own hands."

Psalm 57:2 (Amplified Bible)
"I will cry to God Most High, Who performs on my behalf and rewards me [Who brings to pass His purposes for me and surely completes them]!"


How thankful I am that the Lord hears me when I call to Him! Think about that... that the God of the universe, who controls the whole world, hears me when I call to Him! That is too much to truly comprehend! That He hears me every time I call Him is so comforting and encouraging, especially since I have to call on Him innumerable times throughout my day (as you can imagine, being the mom of twin boys who are almost 4)!

And it even gets better than just the fact that God hears me, He also responds to me! And in His response He strengthens me with might and inflexibility to temptation, now that is something I desperately am in need of. I am tempted everyday to "lose my cool" with my boys as they speak disrespectfully, act defiantly, and just flat out disobey me. Sometimes it is so very hard to respond out of love rather than react out of frustration or anger, but if I have spent time with my Lord He has provided me with the strength and might I need to respond in a way that is honoring to Him and is more beneficial to my children. I just have to chose His strength and His course of action rather than my own "fleshly" response.

And to top that off, the Lord so encouraged me by reminding me that He "will perfect that which concerns me." Well, my children definitely concern me; will they ever learn to obey quickly without arguing or complaining, will they ever learn to speak respectfully, etc. I have God's Word which tells me that He will perfect them, how wonderful!! How wonderful to know that God is perfecting my boys and me, transforming us to the image of His dear son, Jesus Christ.

What about you, do you spend time with your Lord everyday? If not, try it out... let His Word speak to you, change you, encourage you, strengthen you, guide you, direct you, and make you more like Him. God's Word is "living and active"!

Wordless Wednesday #2

Double Joy!!

Wordless Wednesday

Lollipops & Trucks! What could be better?

Tears of Joy!

Yesterday Paul & David were in their 1st musical production, their 3-K Thanksgiving Program! They looked so adorable in their little Indian shirts and headpieces, up there on the stage with all the other 3 year olds. I thought I had prepared well for their first production. I had my digital camera along with my digital video camera, both had fully charged batteries and were ready to go; but I forgot to bring my tissues!! I had thought to put them in my purse, but in the hustle and bustle of getting everyone out the door on time I forgot to grab them.

Well, by the time I got the boys to their class they were both almost in tears. They were upset because I had not brought their lunch boxes, and they did not want the special "Thanksgiving Feast" the school had prepared for us after the program. They are so picky that just the thought of eating "big boy food" brings them to tears. Then more tears started to come when they realized they were going to have to wear their Indian shirts and headpieces; I left them with Mrs. Lori to get them calmed down and went to find some good seats, wondering if my children were even going to participate!!

The program started with a nice devotional about how our children grow up so fast, how it seems like they were just born yesterday, and how we need to treasure every moment with them. This brought a few tears to my eyes, (tears of joy) but nothing that I really needed a tissue for. Then, a lady gets up to sing, and she starts singing "My Redeemer Lives", one of my absolute favorites; then the tears start to well up in my eyes (I am so terribly emotional, I cry almost every Sunday in church). I look over at James, because he always has tissues in his pocket, and he looks at me and dies laughing because I am crying, and this time he had no tissues!! So I start to pray, "Ok, Lord, you know I love this song and how it usually makes me boo hoo, please help me to not cry so much; please help me get control of myself." And the Lord did just that, He dried up my tears and I didn't need a tissue after all!

Then all the kids entered the sanctuary, and when Paul and David saw us their little faces just lit right up!! They looked so precious! And I was so proud when they willingly stood on the stage and participated!! They sang 5 or 6 songs, and they both did most of the hand motions. Paul sang so loud I could hear him above the other kids, he sounded so precious. I was and am so very proud of my boys, they bring me much joy, and I am very thankful for their sweet and precious lives. Now I can sit on my couch with my box of tissues and watch their video from yesterday, and cry all the tears of joy that I want to!!

What brings you joy, or even tears of joy? I would love for you to leave a comment and let me know.

"...The joy of the Lord is your strength" Nehemiah 8:10

A FUNNY!!!

Earlier I was helping Paul in the bathroom, and he went to pull his underwear up and I noticed he was wearing 2 pairs. I asked him, "Paul, why are you wearing 2 pairs of underwear?" He just looked at me, grinned, thought for a moment, and then replied, "Well, I am 3 years old."

I guess that explains it! If you are 3 years old you are allowed to wear 2 pairs of underwear at the same time!! I just thought this was quite funny and wanted to share it; may it bring some laughter to your day!

Thankfulness

My boys are going to 3-K this year. Every month they have a Bible verse to memorize. This month's verse is Psalm 136:1, which is "Give thanks to God." I thought it would be neat for us to make "Thankfulness Boxes." We took 2 empty kleenex boxes, covered them with construction paper, wrote the verse on the top, and the boys decorated them. They thought this was lots of fun, and it kept them occupied one evening while I was cooking dinner :)

So, every evening while we have dinner we go around the table and tell what we are thankful for from that day. I write them down and put them in our "Thankfulness Boxes." We plan to read all of these together as a family on Thanksgiving. I do not give them any prompts, other than, "What are you thankful for from today?" We have gotten some really cute and really sweet responses, here are some of the things they are thankful for:

Paul:

• I am thankful you didn't take my dumptruck away.
• Thankful for making me raisins and chips tonight.
• I am thankful for God making me.
• I am thankful for daddy coming home.
• I am thankful for Henry (a train).
• I am thankful for you not going bye-bye during nap (now what this is about I do not know, I never leave them at home alone during nap, I guess he is just thankful for that!!)

David:

• God
• Thankful for playing with Lightening McQueen
• I am thankful for mommy holding me.
• For daddy.
• I am thankful for Henry.
• I am thankful for my big pumpkin ya'll bought me.
• For daddy opening my applesauce.

Don't forget to "Give thanks to God." We have so very much to be thankful for!!

A Fun Day!!

Yesterday my boys and I had a really fun day. It was Veteran's Day, and lots of people were off of work, so I thought I would take a break from my normal Monday duties of cleaning house, and take the boys to a different park. In honor of Veteran's Day, we went to Veteran's park in Alabaster. I packed a picnic lunch, loaded the boys bikes into the trunk of my Camry (who says you need a mini-van!!), and off we went. They were very excited to be going somewhere different and asked me tons of questions on our short trip there, (which they thought was a very long way!)

The park was not crowded at all and we had a grand time. They rode, and rode, and rode their bikes. Their little legs were pedaling so fast, it was just adorable! Oh, and their squeals of delight as they coasted down the hills on their bikes, gave me such joy. I just love to hear their laughter, it is so precious! We stopped beside the lake and they had loads of fun just throwing sticks and rocks into the water. They wanted to go swimming, and just didn't quite understand why you can't swim in the fall, or why they weren't supposed to swim in the lake. To them it was water, and it was warm out, so why not go for a swim; just forget that they don't know how, didn't have a swimsuit, or their floaties!

We then went to the playground area where they had fun exploring different slides, tunnels, and ladders. We spread out our blanket and enjoyed our picnic, complete with all the perfect foods for my little picky eaters! They sang the blessing for me in unison, which is something they never do at home, they always want to do solos at home! I even treated them today with a cookie for dessert, they were so happy!

Before leaving we went for a shorter bike ride, during which we had our first crash of the day but no major injuries. Paul had stopped his bike and David drove right into him and knocked him over, we need to learn to ride around others, oh well.

It was a fun and enjoyable day, a nice break from our normal Monday routine. I am thankful for all who are serving and have served our country so we can enjoy life and have fun days with our families. It truly is a blessing to be an American!!

Singleness

I teach a high school girls Bible Study on Wednesday nights, and we are doing the book "When God Writes Your Love Story" by Eric & Leslie Ludy. It is a very good book and I highly recommend it. It is a very easy read and the girls have really enjoyed it; I can actually tell that they are reading it because they all talk about the parts that they liked!!

This week our chapter is on being single with a purpose, the point being that God has a purpose for every season in your life, even your season of singleness. She lists several "reasons" in the book for seasons of singleness, and it led me to ponder my single years ( I didn't get married until I was 29). I came up with a list of purposes for my season of singleness to share with the girls tonight, and thought I would share them with all of you in "blog land." So here they are:

The purposes of my singleness:

1. It taught me to depend on God and not guys and/or girlfriends.
2. It taught me that God actually is enough!
3. I learned that the only way to true contentment is through having a relationship with Jesus Christ.
4. It gave me extra time to dig into, study, and fall in love with God’s Word.
5. It enabled me to learn how to live a Spirit-filled life, a life controlled by the Spirit of God, so that now it is God and His Spirit who enables and empowers me to be the wife and mom God has called me to be.

God has a purpose for every season we go through in life. Give it some thought, and think about God's purposes for your current season. I will be pondering God's purpose in my current season - being a mommy to toddlers, maybe that will be my next post...

Children

Children can be very frustrating and very cute, I have had one of each today!

Here is what happened... I was putting away towels that I had washed, dryed, and folded :) (they didn't stay in the dryer for a few days this time!) and I heard this noise outside in our back yard. I looked out our bedroom window and there was David throwing one of my really cute, decorative pumpkins against our fence! I immediately threw down my nicely folded towels and ran outside to put a stop to this! His response to "David, why are you throwing Mommy's pumpkin against the fence?" was, "It wasn't suppposed to be on the table , and I wanted to make it bust open." Well, they are not allowed to have their little pumpkins or any toys for that matter, on the table, and I had it as decor on the table in our foyer; and this Saturday Paul and David had a grand time busting their pumpkins out back and finding all the yucky seeds and gooey, stringy stuff inside; so I guess he was just thinking he would do that with Mommy's pumpkin. We had a nice little talk about Mommy's decorations throughout the house and how they are not for David or Paul, and a little discipline, and now my pumpkin is back on the table where it is supposed to be!

Now for the cute story from Paul... He was sitting on the potty doing what you do on the potty, and he looked up at me and said, "Mommy, my bottom burped! Isn't that funny!" Well I just thought that that was the cutest way to describe a "toot" and it has made me smile and chuckle all day, I hope it gives you a laugh too!

But all this got me to wondering, what have I done today that has frustrated my Father in Heaven, and what have I done today that maybe made Him chuckle and smile? Just something for you to ponder...

Blessings
Tricia

New Blogger

I am entering the world of blogging! We will see if I have time for this, and if I have anything interesting for any of you who might read my blog to read!

I will begin by explaining my title, "It's All About Him!" It is all about Jesus! That is the stance I try (and I mean try, I don't always live this way) to take daily; living my life in a way that shows that everything is about Jesus and serving Him. My life verse is Col. 3:23-24, "...whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as working for the Lord and not for men... for it is the Lord Jesus Christ Whom you serve." In my day to day living, doing laundry, cleaning house, cooking, and caring for and disciplining TWO 3 (almost 4) years olds, it really helps me to keep the attitude that Christ would have me to have, remembering that in all that I do, I am serving Christ by serving my family. That is all for my 1st blog, I have to go check on my kids and cook dinner!!