tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46298650272956038152024-03-13T00:48:27.975-04:00Cattle Dreams and Camouflage Seamsnatashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11853961883288396701noreply@blogger.comBlogger95125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4629865027295603815.post-59186071109543121962011-12-07T22:39:00.002-05:002011-12-07T22:42:02.429-05:00A post from this time last year....**I'm trying to get back into blogging, which has been put on the back burner lately. It's late, and I'm pretty tired, so I wanted to bring this post back from last year to help everyone remember what the true reason for the season is all about.**<br /><br />Wednesday, December 22, 2010<br /><a name="1089235056926573424"></a><br /><a href="http://themartinfamily07.blogspot.com/2010/12/hot-chocolate-and-christmas-crunch.html">Hot chocolate and the Christmas crunch.</a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_oNsoHhmTvnY/TRLSQz_o3vI/AAAAAAAAAp8/gCbTMy_00yk/s1600/Peace_on_earth_challenge_1.jpg"></a>With Christmas being a mere 3 days away, a lot of us often lose focus of what it's supposed to be about. We're too busy trying to run around and get those last minute gifts to please someone, that we often lose our way.<br />Whether we realize it or not, this time of year is when Satan works his powers. He thrives on the fact that we get stressed, exhausted, and fall away from God. He revels in the fact that we get caught up in the materialistic aspect of Christmas and don't remember to slow down and read our Bible and talk with God. Do not be fooled- he is waiting for youBe self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour- Peter 5:8<br />This brings me to the next part of my "Peace on Earth December Challenge" from Courtney at Women Living Well, and this an excerpt from her challenge:<br />Here's this week's challenge: Christmas is just 5 days away and so much of our time is often spent helping the children to remember the "Reason for the Season". Now it's our turn. Once the kids are in bed get yourself a HOT drink (again we are warming the body as we warm the soul.) Get ALONE and turn out the lights by your Christmas tree, a lit fire, or a candle and just be alone with God. Pray, talk to him, I encourage you to sing Christmas carols or songs praising him, and just rest with Jesus.<br />This challenge led me to my pantry for some of this delicious stuff<br />And I brought it to the solace of my living room to look at this:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BORDER-RIGHT: 0px" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/241/1A4ED1E87BF1CCC11AA2A17E3C28AD58.png" /></a>natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11853961883288396701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4629865027295603815.post-31456983139273878912011-09-22T11:23:00.007-04:002011-09-22T12:55:10.496-04:00Oh sweet blog, I have missed you.After living in the camper for a week while we gutted our kitchen, stripped wallpaper, painted, and installed new carpet, we moved into our new house on August 20<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">th</span></span>. It took a little while for it to feel like home to us, but now it seems as if this house was made for us, and that we never lived anywhere else. The land is absolutely beautiful, and the one neighbor that we have is and older couple. Very sweet people.<br /><br />Shayna has settled into her new preschool effortlessly, like the resilient child she is, and I am planning Christmas in my new home.<br /><br />Well, that is where I have been for the past month, and I will leave you with some pictures of the new humble abode. <br /><div><br /><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div>This was our kitchen the day we made the offer:<br /><br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5655208304515841762" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SjaCDENdsSY/TntV_YmBfuI/AAAAAAAAA2U/X0hEkv5Mrh4/s400/IMG_1744.JPG" /> And this our kitchen now:<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5655208323673128194" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O32AeRmq1Lw/TntWAf9efQI/AAAAAAAAA2c/LLiLlwqpP6Y/s400/IMG_2164.JPG" /><br />I will add more pics of the interior in a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">different</span> post when I get everything done. This is the outside of my house, and the reason why we bought it.<br /><br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5655226133777114514" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ucY69ar_uYk/TntmNLxKZZI/AAAAAAAAA28/nDY5nMVhVBk/s400/IMG_2188.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5655226156027924994" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yOuOubYjGTw/TntmOeqK0gI/AAAAAAAAA3M/gTZONK-QGqc/s400/IMG_2192.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5655226146298745074" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6tqm6Dek_OU/TntmN6ajUPI/AAAAAAAAA3E/1Bxx1hOF3so/s400/IMG_2189.JPG" /></div><br /><div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BORDER-RIGHT: 0px" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/241/1A4ED1E87BF1CCC11AA2A17E3C28AD58.png" /></a></div></div></div></div></div>natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11853961883288396701noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4629865027295603815.post-73104108839676200512011-08-13T21:44:00.006-04:002011-08-13T23:12:09.016-04:00Good things come to those who wait..After putting in the initial offer on June 14, and waiting what seemed to be a lifetime, the buyers on our house finally got everything worked out with their lender and we closed on it yesterday. We were then able to close on our new 15 acre farm this morning! Now, we have to cram and get a lot of work done, due to having to extend the closing date by two weeks.
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<br />The sellers are planning on leaving this Monday for a long journey to Montana. Over the course of all this buying and selling house <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">business</span>, we have came to know them pretty well, and I pray they have a safe trip out west and hope they will send us a postcard of that beautiful state.
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<br />We plan on just pulling our camper out there on Monday and staying in it for a week so we don't have the commute to this house everyday. It won't be the best situation, but it's only for a week, and I will be able to help David with some of the work that needs done on the house as well. Although, I'm not sure how much work I will accomplish with a 4-year-old running around, but something is better than nothing I suppose.
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<br />After we had all the monies exchanged and everything was handled, we stopped for some lunch and then headed out to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Lowe's</span> to do some shopping. We had to get the hood microwave that goes over the range and the paint for the house. A lot more will be need to be spent to get it the way we want it, but it will all come in due time.
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<br />I just can't believe we are finally doing this after waiting so long for it to all happen, and will have so much room for cattle and maybe crops next year. This will be my last entry until we get our <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">internet</span> set up over there, so here are pics of the new place.
<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640522411952845890" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fPHhzzxndRk/TkcpP7gUNEI/AAAAAAAAA1c/WQA2NaTbtRw/s400/IMG_1739.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640535892845057266" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cv2xy95r3-g/Tkc1gnve1PI/AAAAAAAAA2E/xn_b-CmVvcU/s400/IMG_1732.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640535896093507074" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gU9E_tKzIo0/Tkc1gz1-PgI/AAAAAAAAA2M/nZZ1Qxe4CUQ/s400/IMG_1734.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640535883267721410" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-41v_Ec0DsFE/Tkc1gEEESMI/AAAAAAAAA18/pVeSFAYwSqM/s400/IMG_1727.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640535870365240162" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tYFc7F3cEEc/Tkc1fT_4C2I/AAAAAAAAA1s/l7xits2b1Ew/s400/IMG_1722.JPG" />
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<br /><div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BORDER-RIGHT: 0px" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/241/1A4ED1E87BF1CCC11AA2A17E3C28AD58.png" /></a></div>
<br />natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11853961883288396701noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4629865027295603815.post-404624921485191732011-08-11T22:42:00.004-04:002011-08-11T23:19:07.443-04:00It's getting close!It happens every year; the insane heat and humidity starts to diminish, and makes way for cooler weather. One sure sign that fall is approaching is <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">pre</span>-season football. Football baby!! I can not wait for fall, and winter that follows it.
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<br /><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5639797430961519058" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Yx9eHXsUVdk/TkSV4e2fOdI/AAAAAAAAA0k/BrRs9oxbudY/s400/colts.jpg" />I love everything about fall. The leaves changing colors, the cooler temps, football, the warm candle scents of apple and cinnamon, and all the decorations. I also celebrate my birthday and wedding anniversary in October which is another reason why I love the season.
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<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5639797445116743986" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L6A5Rz4JimM/TkSV5TlW0TI/AAAAAAAAA00/dpwjtjKYwdA/s400/fall-decorations-5754.jpg" />We also love to go camping at least once during the autumn season. One place we are planning on going to this year is "Little Nashville." Nashville, Indiana is a quaint little town with lots of pretty scenery, antiques, and little shops. It's like a mini <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Gatlinburg</span>. We camped there in October 2009, and that's when we're planning on going back this year. They have an annual event the first weekend of October called Farm Fest where you can pick out pumpkins, feed animals at the petting zoo, and other fun things that are family and kid friendly. This is Shayna there in 2009.
<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 299px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5639797436944552466" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5m9720KaENk/TkSV41I9EhI/AAAAAAAAA0s/ftTthEbCbT0/s400/fall%2Bfest.jpg" />I can't believe how little she looks right there! I am so ready to see her there again. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Hoodies</span>, fall decor, and campfires, here we come!
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<br /><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BORDER-RIGHT: 0px" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/241/1A4ED1E87BF1CCC11AA2A17E3C28AD58.png" /></p>
<br />natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11853961883288396701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4629865027295603815.post-65471582293986571592011-08-10T11:18:00.006-04:002011-10-22T11:04:44.006-04:00Parenting an only child<div><br /><br /><div><a href="http://womenlivingwell.org/category/women-living-well-wednesdays/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq297/courtneylivingwell/LivingWell.png" /></a><br /><br />I'd like to introduce you to my pride and joy. She is the child that God blessed David and me with, and will be our only child. Over the past 4 1/2 years, we have watched her grow from an infant who relied on us for her every need, to an independent preschooler with her own emotions, thoughts, and vocabulary, and her vocabulary is something else. I have spent a lot of time around children her age, and she speaks exceptionally well for someone of that age. However, along with her <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">new found</span> sense of independence, has also came an attitude when she doesn't get her way. Imagine that- a 4-year-old with an attitude.<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5639251111096755346" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u7IaggAjfoI/TkKlAewmJJI/AAAAAAAAA0Q/izhKSkO1Kxc/s400/shayna%2B4.jpg" />I remember the day I gave birth to her. She was 7 pounds 11oz and 20 1/4 inches long. Absolutely perfect in every way.<br /></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5639251103465762434" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9h3MNXdcH78/TkKlACVOboI/AAAAAAAAA0I/IFTNQnS-Gxo/s400/shayna%2Bnewborn.jpg" />So, it's no surprise that we get the age old question of when we are going to have more children, and while it seems like an innocent enough question, some people don't know when to leave well enough alone. The simple answer is never. We have accepted the fact that she is the only one God will give to us, and we have made our peace with that.</div><br /><br /><br /><div>Please do not tell me that she will be lonely, spoiled, or selfish because she is an only. She is far from any of the three, and it's our job as parents to teach children to not be any of those things regardless if we have one child or ten children. We are teaching her to be selfless and to appreciate the things she has, just the same as anyone with 2+ children would do. She is going to start her second year of preschool in 2 weeks, and she is a social butterfly. She has absolutely no lack of social interaction with her peers, and she tells me about her friends on a daily basis.<br /><br />The bottom line is that I am trying to dispel the only child myth. It is not wise to bring another child into this world based solely on the fact that they "need a playmate." I have heard this an insane amount of times, and the thought is asinine. For one, there is no <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">guarantee</span> the children will get along or have that ideal image of closeness when they enter adulthood. Not to mention, it's also not a wise thing to bring another child into the world if you are struggling to provide for just one financially. Babies cost a lot of money, kids cost even more, and teenagers cost a small fortune.<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 242px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5639266431564673362" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OESM-IfIGas/TkKy8P8ycVI/AAAAAAAAA0Y/yJRtNny0iSA/s400/time-onlychild.jpg" />I am almost 29-years-old, the oldest of 3 children. I can count on one hand how many times I have seen my half brother and half sister in the past six years. We just are not close. The same goes for my husband. He is the baby. He has 5 (I think) half siblings and one full brother. The only one he is close to is his half sister, and she is thousands of miles away in Texas.<br /><br />Multiple children are great- if you can afford them, but with our economy being in the state that it's in, people should not be having children just for the sake of having children. I can assure you, with the proper guidance and parenting, an only child can grow up to be a well rounded individual just the same as a child with siblings can.<br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BORDER-RIGHT: 0px" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/241/1A4ED1E87BF1CCC11AA2A17E3C28AD58.png" /></a> </div>natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11853961883288396701noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4629865027295603815.post-72533197168742934672011-08-09T12:01:00.004-04:002011-08-09T15:09:31.397-04:00Chicken gumboAs part of a "Teach me Tuesdays" link up from <a href="http://www.richandsarahchristensen.blogspot.com/">http://www.richandsarahchristensen.blogspot.com/</a>, I will be sharing my chicken gumbo recipe that my husband and I absolutely love. Thanks Sarah, for giving me something else to link-up to.
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<br /><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 255px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638892735409382370" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Bvf2UTpeHzw/TkFfERSbY-I/AAAAAAAAAz4/gMjw7Az0ydg/s400/gumbo.jpg" />The wonderful thing about this recipe is that you can alter the spiciness simply by using less or more hot sauce than what it calls for. I use just the recommended amount for a little kick that is not too overpowering.
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<br />For this recipe you will need:
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<br />1/4 cup oil for frying
<br />1/4 cup all-purpose flour
<br />1 green bell pepper, chopped
<br />1 onion, chopped
<br />2 cups cooked, chopped chicken breast meat
<br />1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers, with liquid
<br />1 (4.5 ounce) can sliced mushrooms, drained
<br />2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
<br />2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
<br />3 cloves garlic, minced
<br />1 teaspoon soy sauce
<br />1 teaspoon white sugar
<br />1/2 teaspoon salt
<br />1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
<br />3 dashes hot sauce
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<br />I omit the parsley and mushrooms every time I make it, and it's still fabulous. My hubby doesn't even know it calls for mushrooms, or I would have to put them in there, lol.
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<br />Note: If you are a family of more than 3, I recommend doubling this recipe. Our daughter will not eat this, so it's just David and I who do, but I still double it for leftovers.
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<br />Directions are as follows:
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<br />1.Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes or until mixture is the color of a copper penny. Reduce heat to low and stir in bell pepper and onion. Cook 10 to 15 minutes, or until tender, stirring occasionally.
<br />2.Add chicken, tomatoes with green chile peppers, mushrooms, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, soy sauce, sugar, salt, pepper and hot sauce. Stir together, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
<br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BORDER-RIGHT: 0px" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/241/1A4ED1E87BF1CCC11AA2A17E3C28AD58.png" /></a> </p>
<br />natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11853961883288396701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4629865027295603815.post-40179608282648650652011-08-08T20:59:00.003-04:002011-08-08T21:51:50.832-04:00Satan and his enticing waysHow often have you been pressured to do something when you knew there could potentially be bad consequences that came from it? What ENTICED you to do these things?
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<br />This has been on my mind since a hearing a sermon that my pastor gave last night. The word "entice" is normally not used in a good context when you think about it. Take the adulteress who entices the married man with her clever words and seductive ways. She tell him what he wants to hear, and she is working for Satan.
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<br /><span style="font-size:85%;color:#3366ff;"><em>With persuasive words she led him astray; she seduced him with her smooth talk- Proverbs 7:21
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<br /><span style="color:#000000;">I absolutely love my pastor. He has a God given gift of speaking that is interesting and makes you want to hear more. I 100% believe that God led me to being a Christian again so I could meet my church family, and hear him speak. In this context, ENTICE was a good word.</span></span>
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<br /><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638662008051125522" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NJtOu3fKtu4/TkCNOK5gzRI/AAAAAAAAAzw/PLdLO_mCCLc/s400/pastor.jpg" />The sermon also was about how God doesn't compromise. We as Christians need to strive to live by His word. We can't say "Okay God, I'm going to get drunk tonight and have sex with random people, but I'll go to church to Sunday morning." God does NOT work like that.
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<br />I am by no means the "perfect" Christian, and do you know why? Because there is no such thing as the perfect Christian. We all fall short, but we can all strive to better children of God. I have found one of the best ways to do this is by reading the Bible. I feel such peace when I read it, a peace that I could never find at the bottom of a bottle, strip club, or bar.
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<br />I am still following an outline from Olivia at <a href="http://www.hernoblecharacter.com/">www.hernoblecharacter.com</a> to read the Bible in its entirety in 6 months. I read a few chapters each night from different books, and it's my quiet time to reflect and give thanks to God.
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<br />You have no idea how great I felt when my pastor was talking about a specific incident in Genesis last night, and I actually knew what he was referring to. I felt a sense of accomplishment, and that's not something I feel very often. </p>
<br /><p>I encourage anyone who is a fellow Christian to do this as well. Set aside a time where it will be quiet, and dig into God's word. It's the only way to learn, and it makes Satan cringe.
<br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BORDER-RIGHT: 0px" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/241/1A4ED1E87BF1CCC11AA2A17E3C28AD58.png" /></a> </p>
<br />natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11853961883288396701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4629865027295603815.post-30616314102854161842011-08-07T16:58:00.005-04:002011-08-07T17:41:04.605-04:00Media and our friendships<div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kz9rp1n1a3I/Tj79iWpEhRI/AAAAAAAAAzg/V_XjwAC_Ars/s1600/Media-Mondays-150px.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 150px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 126px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638222550149661970" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kz9rp1n1a3I/Tj79iWpEhRI/AAAAAAAAAzg/V_XjwAC_Ars/s400/Media-Mondays-150px.jpg" /></a> Along with most of the people in this world, my main form of communicating is via <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Facebook</span>, Twitter, and e-mail. Very few of my friends live close enough to get together, and we all have such busy lives that it's hard to plan around them.<br /><br />Long gone are the days where we had to rely solely on a land line phone to communicate, and a rotary phone at that. Yes, laugh all you want, but I am THAT old to remember having to turn those things to each number to dial an entire phone number. Forget trying to win any radio contests on one of those.<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 148px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 160px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638222555829380578" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-laYc11PATJc/Tj79irzOJeI/AAAAAAAAAzo/sHpFqgaLTGU/s400/rotary%2Bphone.jpg" />How often though do you realize that one of your friends is not exactly who you thought they were after reading some of their statuses? I can guarantee it's at least one. I have cleaned out my friend's list due to excessive cussing, negativity, and inappropriate pictures. I do not miss those "friends" either. Now, I'm not trying to sound judgemental, but as a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Chrsitian</span> woman, I do not want to see pictures of adult women scantily clad, legs wrapped around a pole, and licking some other female. It's classless and just kind of gross.<br /><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;color:#993399;">Having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people- 2 Timothy 3:5<br /></span></em><br />I also do not feel like it's in my best interest to see constant negativity out of people's mouths. When something is going wrong, I try to make the most out of it, and I realize that life isn't always fair. I don't post about every little setback on <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Facebook</span> because negativity has a way of breeding. I don't want to be the cause of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">someone's</span> perfectly happy mood being dampened due to my thoughts.<br /><br />Thirdly, and probably one of the least favorite things I enjoying seeing is constant and excessive cursing. I have touched on this before, but I do not expect anyone to have a vocabulary that consists of the "f" word being a verb, adjective, noun, and a pronoun all in one sentence. It makes one sound completely uneducated, and it's just unnecessary.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><em><span style="color:#663366;">Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear- Ephesians- 4:29<br /><br /></span></em>I no longer add people that I do not know personally, or ones who have questionable morals or character. It benefits me in knowing that I won't have to see things I do not wish to see, and I don't feel like I can't delete them due to hurt feelings.</span></div><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BORDER-RIGHT: 0px" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/241/1A4ED1E87BF1CCC11AA2A17E3C28AD58.png" /></a>natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11853961883288396701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4629865027295603815.post-42526336177040064132011-08-06T21:00:00.003-04:002011-08-06T21:25:35.452-04:00The weekend events<div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div>Yesterday we went to the annual Pioneer Days and tractor show in Rushville, IN. The hubs absolutely loves seeing the antique tractors that are powered by steam, and I enjoy seeing the newer ones. Shayna loves going as well. Even though she's a girl, she would rather have tractors than Barbie dolls. Here are some pics from the day.<br /><br /><br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637915411392998210" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cvvxdRNeKM8/Tj3mMhnHq0I/AAAAAAAAAzY/jzt43HSFOPk/s400/IMG_2034.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637915402617943938" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sUqbw74_p8I/Tj3mMA6-94I/AAAAAAAAAzQ/4qD19Bygouc/s400/IMG_2032.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637915396906762882" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-40CEo0Qu8cM/Tj3mLrpVQoI/AAAAAAAAAzI/3YwnOd_gBH8/s400/IMG_2018.JPG" /></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637915385989617538" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nVKM2VlKIYs/Tj3mLC-e14I/AAAAAAAAAzA/aCpiBKecDSs/s400/IMG_2017.JPG" /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637915379764966082" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GDmtlbGO-D8/Tj3mKryaMsI/AAAAAAAAAy4/fDbwUG4lnR0/s400/IMG_2016.JPG" />That took up our entire Friday, and we came back home to put the munchkin in bed, and have some alone time. We watched a movie and went to bed pretty early. Walking around all day looking at tractors will wear you out fast.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Today consisted of a lazy day sitting around the house, and then we went out to eat at Roxano's (best pizza and bread sticks EVER). We then drove by our new house (the anticipation is killing us) and then came back home. Tomorrow's agenda is church and grocery shopping- one of my most favorite things, and the other is one I dread. I'm sure you can guess which one is which.<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BORDER-RIGHT: 0px" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/241/1A4ED1E87BF1CCC11AA2A17E3C28AD58.png" /></a></div></div></div></div>natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11853961883288396701noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4629865027295603815.post-20668240649101174392011-08-03T09:27:00.005-04:002011-08-03T10:02:44.966-04:00Slow cooked country ribs<a href="http://womenlivingwell.org/category/women-living-well-wednesdays/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq297/courtneylivingwell/LivingWell.png"></a><br />It's no secret that we all love ribs in this house, including Miss Picky aka Shayna. It takes a lot of time to cook these, but they are melt-in-your-mouth-scrumptious-deliciousness when they are done. First, you need to make sure you are going to be home for a good portion of the day. I'm talking about 5-6 hours. In order to cook these, remember "low and slow." Country ribs are different than baby back ribs. They have a lot more meat on them, but also more fat. They must be cooked slowly to cook out the fat, and to become tender.<br /><br />You will need:<br /><br />Barbecue sauce of your choice<br /><br />Seasonings.<br /><br />To start, line a pan with foil, and preheat your oven to 225 degrees. Put the ribs on the foil lined pan, and bake for one hour untouched once your oven is heated. These are from last Saturday. Now, the country ribs in the store will NOT be this big. These ribs were fresh from a hog that we killed ourselves, and were probably about a pound a piece before they were cooked.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5636624076035650354" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-djZ775ZOBiU/TjlPu6iE8zI/AAAAAAAAAyg/en79WNxbQOs/s400/IMG_2014.JPG" />After that first hour, you will need to season them according <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">taste</span>. I used garlic, onion powder, salt and pepper. Then you need to baste them with <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">bbq</span> sauce (I use Jack Daniels because it has the best flavor to me) every 1/2 an hour for for another 4 hours. After the 5 hours is complete, baste them one more time, and stick them under the broiler for 5 minutes. That's it. Simple as pie, and a delicious dinner. I served it with shells and cheese and asparagus sauteed in garlic and light butter.<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5636627702562367394" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3qvX3GS1mig/TjlTCAZbJ6I/AAAAAAAAAyw/VqRFHeumPEA/s400/IMG_2015.JPG" /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BORDER-RIGHT: 0px" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/241/1A4ED1E87BF1CCC11AA2A17E3C28AD58.png" /></a>natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11853961883288396701noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4629865027295603815.post-75252581478906089752011-08-02T20:29:00.003-04:002011-08-02T21:26:20.369-04:00August-December Bible reading plan.Olivia at <a href="http://www.hernoblecharacter.com/">http://www.hernoblecharacter.com/</a> has came up with a Bible reading plan from July-December. I am behind by a month because I just discovered her blog not too long ago. However, I am going to start the reading now. I intend to start from the beginning of July and just catch up. If I <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">commit</span> to it, I can catch up to the August part in no time. So, tonight I will start by reading Proverbs 1, Romans 1, and Genesis 1-4.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 326px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 302px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5636423275711452370" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-amEDhBFP6hI/TjiZGzCGVNI/AAAAAAAAAyY/ehLMc7ErNCA/s400/bible.jpg" />I need something to keep me in focus right now because my patience is wearing thin waiting on these houses to close. Our realtor is even getting frustrated due to the fact that the appraiser is dragging his feet. If we have to extend this again, I am going to be one very unhappy lady.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BORDER-RIGHT: 0px" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/241/1A4ED1E87BF1CCC11AA2A17E3C28AD58.png" /></a></div>natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11853961883288396701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4629865027295603815.post-57741739420241736662011-08-01T19:23:00.005-04:002011-08-01T19:53:08.371-04:00Some movies I loveA little over a year ago, my hubby and I watched "Fireproof" for the first time. It still speaks to me. It is such a great movie with a great message behind it. It touches on a post I made yesterday about porn breaking apart a marriage. The movie is based on the book "The Love Dare" which gives couples a chance to compliment and do things for each other on a daily basis. It's a movie that I never get tired of, and since my husband likes it too, that is an added bonus.<br /><br /><br /><div><br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5636034696973638146" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8jxHjmoGcHk/Tjc3sibj2gI/AAAAAAAAAyI/WYXMnOdSPFo/s400/Fireproof.jpg" />I then discovered another movie that is also a Christian movie called "Facing the Giants." It is a great family movie that teaches us to not be fair weather Christians. We must praise God in the good times and bad, and not just go to Him when we are in need. We watched this again last night, and it always touches my heart.<br /></div><br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 244px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 348px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5636034684518072338" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1MmIkgyxLt4/Tjc3r0B7ABI/AAAAAAAAAx4/mNXrExWH6rw/s400/Facing-the-Giants.jpg" /><br /><br /><div>Those two movies are from the creator of this next movie that comes out on September 30th. I am already planning a date night with the hubster to go see it. It has been over a year since we have been out alone, and it is long overdue. This movie is called "Courageous." It's about police officers and their lives. There are familiar faces from the two aforementioned movies in this movie. If it's anything like the other two, it will be great.<br /><br /><br /></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 270px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5636037570953005378" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jrWoHsV-X4s/Tjc6T01oyUI/AAAAAAAAAyQ/IxTIi1enrYE/s400/courageous.jpg" /><br /><br /><iframe width="560" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/i9VT_NBIVfs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br /><div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BORDER-RIGHT: 0px" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/241/1A4ED1E87BF1CCC11AA2A17E3C28AD58.png" /></a></div></div></div>natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11853961883288396701noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4629865027295603815.post-12745462402793038392011-07-31T19:40:00.008-04:002011-07-31T21:04:37.726-04:00The bad kind of media<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o06rcrN1iZ4/TjX7mFIuh1I/AAAAAAAAAxw/XHqC8dXtQhI/s1600/Media-Mondays-150px.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 126px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o06rcrN1iZ4/TjX7mFIuh1I/AAAAAAAAAxw/XHqC8dXtQhI/s400/Media-Mondays-150px.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635687140356425554" /></a><br /><div>As part of the series "Media Mondays" that I link up to, I am touching on how media affects our lives by distracting us from more important things we should be doing, and sometimes, it's a form of media that is sinful that God does not want us to partake in. Yes, folks, this will be me speaking about pornography. If it's something you think is okay, then I will <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">advise</span> you to stop reading this now.<br /><br />Porn can affect marriages and destroy families in a relatively short amount of time. Men going to strip clubs, adult stores, and the like are taking away money that could be used for his family, and is also supporting something that is not Christ-like. Now, some of you may use the argument that it can be accessed for free via the i<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">nternet</span>. While that it true, it doesn't dispel the fact that it could still destroy a marriage just because it's free.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635681246256014818" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GatDr5M414s/TjX2O_5rpeI/AAAAAAAAAxI/jN0jh-QmOH8/s400/playpen.jpg" /><br />I have seen it way too many times where a man is more interested in the porn than his own wife, and that is not okay. It's <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">degrading</span> and hurtful to his wife, and it causes <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">unnecessary</span> tension in the relationship. That is Satan working his power. He thrives off of people not following God, and he lurks in the shadows waiting to lay claim to another victim.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour- Peter 5:8<br /></em></span><br />Do not be deceived, porn can be very <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">devastating</span> to a marriage. It may not appear that way because it's packaged in a pretty box to appeal to us. We are human- it's our nature to be curious about it, and it's that curiosity that gets many people addicted, and I am not talking about just men either. A lot of women have an issue with it as well.<br /><br />I choose not to have that kind of stuff in my marriage or in my household, and my husband has no desire for it either. He thinks of every woman being in that <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">industry</span> as <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">someone's</span> daughter, and it's just not acceptable to him. We also believe that it's a form of cheating, seeing as how the Bible tells us that we should not lust or see unclean things.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>"But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart"- Matthew 5:28<br /><br />"I will set no unclean thing before my eyes." Psalms 101:3<br /><br /></em></span>We need to pray to our Father for this stuff to not hurt marriages, and pray that the people addicted can find a way to God so they can <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">overcome</span> their addiction.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">I myself was not always a Christian. It pains me a great deal to say that, but I wasn't. I was engaged to a man before my husband, and his porn addiction made me feel like I had to watch it with him, and spend times in strip clubs as well. He hurt me deeply, but that hurt made me a hundred times stronger to know that I was better than that, and from the moment that relationship ended, I made a vow to never date another man that wasn't great in every way. I refused to settle, and that is when I met my husband.<br /><br />I am so very blessed to have a strong, faithful, husband not only provides for us, but is also a man of God, and I couldn't ask for anything more.<br /></span><br /><iframe height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/kkWGwY5nq7A" frameborder="0" width="425"></iframe><br /><br /></span><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BORDER-RIGHT: 0px" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/241/1A4ED1E87BF1CCC11AA2A17E3C28AD58.png" /></a> </div>natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11853961883288396701noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4629865027295603815.post-14086040949740593752011-07-30T19:22:00.005-04:002011-07-30T21:24:26.791-04:00Fluff post (pet peeves)I saw something like this on a friend's blog a while back, and since I have nothing else to post, I figured I would carry on about my top pet peeves. Grab a drink y'all, this could get long.<br /><br />1) Vulgarity- If every word out of your mouth is an <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">obscenity</span>, I am going to think you need a vocabulary lesson. It does not sound cool, and it does not sound cute at all. On the contrary, it's classless and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">immature</span>, and makes me want to buy one of these for you:<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635295142998976162" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UDfudnPbx0I/TjSXE1LwJqI/AAAAAAAAAw4/Lilo_96wkLM/s400/thesaurus.jpg" /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>2) The city- sorry folks, but if I'm going to be in a traffic jam, it be a tractor, man.<br /><br />3) Rude cashiers- Every single time I go into the gas station in my town, one of the employees is on the phone. They are always distracted by that stupid thing, and more than once, I have had to correct them for a mistake they made due to not paying attention to me- their PAYING customer. Customer service has seriously went down the toilet.<br /><br />4) Parents that would rather drop their children off every single weekend to go and get drunk. There are far more important things in life than getting wasted. It shouldn't even be a priority to get drunk. I have nothing against a drink or 2, but that is my limit.<br /><br />5) Non-tippers- listen y'all, if you use a service that keeps you from doing something yourself (waiter, valet, hairdresser, etc) you should tip them. My husband doesn't stand outside and run to get your vehicle (in the 100+ degree humid summers, and the freezing cold winters) for his health. If you can't afford to tip for a COMPLIMENTARY service at a casino, then park in the other lot.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BORDER-RIGHT: 0px" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/241/1A4ED1E87BF1CCC11AA2A17E3C28AD58.png" /></a></div>natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11853961883288396701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4629865027295603815.post-86560113190460293492011-07-28T20:41:00.003-04:002011-07-28T23:09:08.524-04:00Trying to be healthy<div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JHwMtu3QfsE/TjIWDzrCP2I/AAAAAAAAAwg/Vax_zkGyW3c/s1600/sleep.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634590338460041058" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JHwMtu3QfsE/TjIWDzrCP2I/AAAAAAAAAwg/Vax_zkGyW3c/s400/sleep.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>For those of you that know me personally, you know that I am big night owl. I will stay up until 1 or 2am watching tv, surfing the internet, blogging, cleaning, etc. That is my time to unwind and have some peace and quiet.<br /><br />However, it is not necessarily a good thing, seeing as how it keeps me in bed until 9:30-10am. I would like to start getting up earlier in the morning, actually eating breakfast (which I never do) and just getting my body on a better routine. I am always tired, and I know that is part of the problem.<br /><br />Along with eating breakfast, I need to lay off the sweet tea, which is the other culprit to why I feel tired all the time. I am a true country girl, and that is my vice. I can drink a gallon a day sometimes. So, it's time for a little less of this:</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634590345453976674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 268px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-te0Dn4La1_M/TjIWENuhPGI/AAAAAAAAAwo/0T24D9rYcSk/s400/sweet%2Btea.bmp" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>And time for some more of this:<br /><br /></div><br /><div></div><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634590346231055090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 338px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7qLi-SOkwg4/TjIWEQnygvI/AAAAAAAAAww/0DZTysSi8cQ/s400/water%2Bbottle.bmp" border="0" /><br />I am going to try really hard to start doing this. I have done it before, and I always felt great, but I always fall back into my old routine. Once we get moved, I am going to see about getting a treadmill or an elliptical as well. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>For now though, I am just going to start to with the first goal of more water, eating right, and an earlier bedtime.</div><br /><div><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order to provide for urgent needs and not live unproductive lives- Titus 3:14</em></span><br /></div><br /><div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/241/1A4ED1E87BF1CCC11AA2A17E3C28AD58.png" /></a></div></div>natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11853961883288396701noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4629865027295603815.post-46210870412524911802011-07-27T13:10:00.001-04:002011-07-27T13:16:23.738-04:00Patience- I lack it<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7OXcby0fHl8/TjBH2D3aqlI/AAAAAAAAAwY/FZFjqAiSE4Y/s1600/patience.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634082127916739154" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7OXcby0fHl8/TjBH2D3aqlI/AAAAAAAAAwY/FZFjqAiSE4Y/s400/patience.bmp" border="0" /></a> <span style="color:#000000;">There is nothing worse than letting me know that I have something great coming to me, but I have to wait on it. It's like handing my 4-year-old a brand new toy, and then saying "Sorry, you can't have that until such-in-such is done." Yes, that would not go over very well.<br /><br />So, when I got a call from our realtor yesterday informing us that the appraisal still hadn't came back on our current house, I knew what that meant. The closing date is now going to be pushed back because some appraiser wants to dilly-dally. We were FOUR days away from closing on the new house, and that is now down the drain.<br /><br />We have now been waiting for over a month. Boxes are packed in every room, and we have nothing left to do but to physically move. It's ---->thisclose, and teasing us like a piece or rotted meat does to a catfish.<br /><br />This whole process has been long, aggravating, and exhausting. The light is almost at the end of the tunnel. Hopefully I will be posting from my new house in a couple more weeks.<br /><br /></span><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/241/1A4ED1E87BF1CCC11AA2A17E3C28AD58.png" /></a>natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11853961883288396701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4629865027295603815.post-6643184111560156782011-07-26T20:36:00.007-04:002011-07-26T22:26:38.542-04:00Plan ahead!<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nNddgaPgdk8/Ti9p2Z74SqI/AAAAAAAAAwA/T5UyojdXqVQ/s1600/calendar.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633838042259671714" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 160px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 145px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nNddgaPgdk8/Ti9p2Z74SqI/AAAAAAAAAwA/T5UyojdXqVQ/s400/calendar.jpg" border="0" /></a> One thing I have never been is a procrastinator. I am a planner, organizer, and I have to things in order. I will plan holidays and important things months in advance because it makes me anxious to think of things not getting done until the last minute, or worse yet, not getting done at all. When I was pregnant, we had everything needed for her when I was 10 weeks along. Like I said- super planner.<br /><br />So, Christmas is 150 days away. Yes, I said Christmas. I normally start my shopping sometime around August, and will finish up before Halloween. While I am a Christmas nut, I do NOT enjoy being rushed, nor do I enjoy the massive crowds as the day gets closer. I love to get it done, and be able to sit around and enjoy hot chocolate with all Christmas movies on t.v. I am the envy of all my friends come December 1st, yet they look at me like I have 3 heads when I talk about it this early.<br /><br />I highly recommend planning ahead for this day. Buy 1-2 gifts per paycheck if you are a family that can't afford to buy it all at once. This is what I had done last year, still over a month away from Christmas Day. The pic was taken on November 19th.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633832587552847410" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B7wiOF2oS_E/Ti9k45kbdjI/AAAAAAAAAv4/-pNOe2bK86U/s400/presents.jpg" border="0" />I do all this, and have all the decorating done way before December. I actually decorate the outside with lights in late October so I'm not out there in the cold when it gets closer. I just string them up, and I don't plug them in until November 21st.<br /><br />Once we get moved into our new house in August, the shopping will begin. I started the list today, and I can not wait! </div><br /><br /><a href="http://womenlivingwell.org/category/women-living-well-wednesdays/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq297/courtneylivingwell/LivingWell.png" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/373/97C1890DB25EFD37274D074EBBFF4A6E.png" /></a></div>natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11853961883288396701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4629865027295603815.post-55834819898978296452011-07-24T19:44:00.006-04:002011-07-24T20:55:00.116-04:00Technology and my child.<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IOiwJPNsr0s/Tiy4Iqrr3_I/AAAAAAAAAvY/EBTymXFGzGA/s1600/blog%2Bpic.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633079692969631730" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 225px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IOiwJPNsr0s/Tiy4Iqrr3_I/AAAAAAAAAvY/EBTymXFGzGA/s320/blog%2Bpic.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>With the ever expanding technology we have at our fingertips, it is no doubt that things will be even better in about 10 years when my daughter will be at the age to beg for all that expensive stuff, and I will at the age of having gray hair worrying about her using said <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">techy</span> gadgets.<br /><br />We must remember that the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">internet</span> is not a bad thing, but there are certainly bad things to be found on it. From the millions of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">pornographic</span> sites, to sites that make fun of people, and right down to the disgusting and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">deplorable</span> website of Ashley Madison that profits off of people <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">committing</span> adultery.<br /><br />It is our duty to teach our children about responsible <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">internet</span> usage, and to filter what they see. It's bad enough that they will hear foul language and see questionable things from their friends at school. We can't control that, but we CAN control what is seen in our own home.<br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633079689150305522" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lP8xnZk6KPg/Tiy4IcdFlPI/AAAAAAAAAvQ/eNmNrCjiAlE/s320/train%2Ba%2Bcchils.bmp" border="0" /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it- Proverbs 22:6<br /><br /></em><span style="font-size:78%;"><em>Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them. </em><a href="http://bible.cc/deuteronomy/4-9.htm"><em>Deuteronomy 4:9</em></a><br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;">My daughter is only 4 right now, but I fully <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">intend</span> on instilling these morals into her. There will be no cell phone or fancy things until she needs them. I don't think it's cute, or even necessary to see a 6-year-old with a cell phone. I didn't even have a cell phone until I was 16. Of course, they hadn't even been around that long at that point in time, but I got along just fine without one. If that makes me a strict mom, then so be it. I want to protect my daughter from making the same mistakes I did as a teenager without God in my life.<br /><br />The hubby and I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">haven't</span> went as far to discuss computer usage, but I'm thinking it will only be used in a common area (no computer in the bedroom), and I'm sure he would agree with me on that matter. We are old-fashioned like that.<br /><br />I can only do my best to teach my daughter the dangers of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">internet</span>, and hope and pray that she listens. That's really all any of us can do.<br /><br /><em></em></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><em>This post is linked here :</em></span><br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633086528440745650" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 126px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RCCipf5-ZTc/Tiy-Wiy_vrI/AAAAAAAAAvo/2zpXGMjl9pE/s320/Media-Mondays-150px.jpg" border="0" /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/373/97C1890DB25EFD37274D074EBBFF4A6E.png" /></a>natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11853961883288396701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4629865027295603815.post-8800790865192351092011-07-22T18:17:00.007-04:002011-07-22T19:37:08.252-04:00One thing I will stress to my daughter..<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TtAMr2cn-RE/TioJkW36iVI/AAAAAAAAAvI/nYVsMXS0h9o/s1600/lloyd.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TtAMr2cn-RE/TioJkW36iVI/AAAAAAAAAvI/nYVsMXS0h9o/s320/lloyd.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632324804200270162" /></a><br /><br /><br />Earlier today, I was reading all of my Facebook updates, and a friend from high school had posted a bunch of pics from those days. Let me just first start by saying whoa at how far cameras have came in the past 11-13 years. I was laughing at the "top of the line" picture quality back then.<br /><br />After getting past the shock of how much better pictures look today, I started to get rather emotional. It seems like high school was just yesterday, and it also seems like it was just yesterday that I was wishing away some of the best years of my life. Everyone knows the classic "I can't wait to be on my own so I can do whatever I want" teenager syndrome. If only I had known just how fast those years would go by, and that I have the rest of my life to be an adult. I almost started to cry looking at those pictures.<br /><br />Don't get me wrong, I have a fantastic life right now. God has blessed me with a great husband, great friends, and a healthy, intelligent, and thriving daughter. I love my adult life, but I wish I would have slowed down as a teenager to truly appreciate how carefree those days were because they were gone as soon as I turned 18.<br /><br />I knew everything back then, too. I was going to get married as soon as I turned 18 and live happily ever after. Yeah, that fairy-tale didn't happen until 6 years later. I struggled through a lot of heartbreak with ex-boyfriends that I thought were true to me, and they were not. I also struggled with my faith, and I was Agnostic for quite a few years. Little did I know, God had a different plan for me.<br /><br />I remember a saying that my grandma told me when I was little about how a man treats his mother will more than likely be the way he treats his girlfriend or wife. I didn't understand what one had to do with the other back then, but looking back to my previous relationships, the guys were never very nice to their mothers. One thing I will stress to Shayna when she is older is to wait to get serious with a guy, and if he seems less than stellar to everyone else around her, then he probably is.<br /><br />When I met David, I quickly discovered that his mother was his world, as was his father, but I never did get to meet him. He would drop everything when she needed him. She was an amazing woman and I miss her dearly.<br /><br />Most of my friends from that day have went on to get married and have kids just like I did, and as I am now approaching 30, I wish I would have listened to my grandma when she was telling me that I would have the rest of my life to be able to do what I want, but there is also a trade off of paying bills and being responsible.<br /><br />I'm sure one of these days Shayna will get that same attitude about not being able to wait to get out on her own, and I will be able to tell her not to wish her carefree days away because she will miss them. If she's anything like me, she will not listen, but I promise to show her this blog, and this video:<br /><br /><br /><iframe width="560" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/lBDN8yWyNYU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/373/97C1890DB25EFD37274D074EBBFF4A6E.png" /></a>natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11853961883288396701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4629865027295603815.post-36967672890079871422011-07-21T21:02:00.006-04:002011-07-21T22:24:01.135-04:00A trip to Chuck E. Cheese's<div>I don't have too much to blog about tonight, so here are some pics of Shayna at Chuck E. Cheese's for her first time ever. Oh, and believe it or not, it was also my first time ever going there. Yes, I'm almost 29-years-old, and had never been to Chuck E. Cheese's, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">lol</span>. She had a blast, and I can't wait to take her back.<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JXbn9sURMGs/TijV1dH1kVI/AAAAAAAAAug/ScTrqReqcdw/s1600/IMG_1877.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631986448354087250" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JXbn9sURMGs/TijV1dH1kVI/AAAAAAAAAug/ScTrqReqcdw/s320/IMG_1877.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cnIcJLjJ_WQ/TijV0_pdqNI/AAAAAAAAAuY/bktKp3J8lIg/s1600/IMG_1876.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631986440442063058" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cnIcJLjJ_WQ/TijV0_pdqNI/AAAAAAAAAuY/bktKp3J8lIg/s320/IMG_1876.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kvEZOC3Xy8Q/TijUAwoxR5I/AAAAAAAAAuQ/0DxdDZ3tVfY/s1600/IMG_1872.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631984443547797394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kvEZOC3Xy8Q/TijUAwoxR5I/AAAAAAAAAuQ/0DxdDZ3tVfY/s320/IMG_1872.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lsknywrDlUk/TijUAWm_a4I/AAAAAAAAAuI/SjhrYe6so5g/s1600/IMG_1870.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631984436561013634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lsknywrDlUk/TijUAWm_a4I/AAAAAAAAAuI/SjhrYe6so5g/s320/IMG_1870.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ybTC79ObdgM/TijT__06GnI/AAAAAAAAAuA/9eRMQwVv-hc/s1600/IMG_1868.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631984430445369970" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ybTC79ObdgM/TijT__06GnI/AAAAAAAAAuA/9eRMQwVv-hc/s320/IMG_1868.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b0NGMHfVZz4/TijT_bgJK4I/AAAAAAAAAt4/nqEsVYeJO5Q/s1600/IMG_1866.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631984420694600578" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b0NGMHfVZz4/TijT_bgJK4I/AAAAAAAAAt4/nqEsVYeJO5Q/s320/IMG_1866.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6kKSwQR0K8U/TijT-1F0J5I/AAAAAAAAAtw/4_5pZt5-wH4/s1600/IMG_1864.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631984410383624082" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6kKSwQR0K8U/TijT-1F0J5I/AAAAAAAAAtw/4_5pZt5-wH4/s320/IMG_1864.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_OGOsdE1hew/TijOv_uAWbI/AAAAAAAAAtg/U9Jqr5PAiXU/s1600/IMG_1855.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631978657980373426" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_OGOsdE1hew/TijOv_uAWbI/AAAAAAAAAtg/U9Jqr5PAiXU/s320/IMG_1855.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gvrWCSjJic8/TijOvdIu98I/AAAAAAAAAtY/XW5FmCy6P3Q/s1600/IMG_1851.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631978648697239490" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gvrWCSjJic8/TijOvdIu98I/AAAAAAAAAtY/XW5FmCy6P3Q/s320/IMG_1851.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aDLwVdD4pR4/TijOu5ZbehI/AAAAAAAAAtQ/CvAhs4KAJyw/s1600/IMG_1847.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631978639103588882" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aDLwVdD4pR4/TijOu5ZbehI/AAAAAAAAAtQ/CvAhs4KAJyw/s320/IMG_1847.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4eLgzP52-Po/TijOuIEzX4I/AAAAAAAAAtA/hUzcGCmLtAA/s1600/IMG_1840.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631978625863737218" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4eLgzP52-Po/TijOuIEzX4I/AAAAAAAAAtA/hUzcGCmLtAA/s320/IMG_1840.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631986467985037202" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-orcCEaXtzzE/TijV2mQOF5I/AAAAAAAAAuw/zX6GL5_ZDqw/s320/IMG_1880.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631986454665648322" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B3LmWfMpb6g/TijV10ooWMI/AAAAAAAAAuo/CTnsrgGwZWU/s320/IMG_1879.JPG" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631978630979601058" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yQPDVvRonds/TijOubIhQqI/AAAAAAAAAtI/ZFJ3wrAqVRo/s320/IMG_1845.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/373/97C1890DB25EFD37274D074EBBFF4A6E.png" /></a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11853961883288396701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4629865027295603815.post-25429086089867950592011-07-20T10:05:00.006-04:002011-07-20T10:41:28.431-04:00Organization and the stay-at-home-mom<div><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E-lDCVGnDWA/TibiZpNhk-I/AAAAAAAAAsg/2ro_1W4QWw4/s1600/LivingWell.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631437314260571106" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 125px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 158px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E-lDCVGnDWA/TibiZpNhk-I/AAAAAAAAAsg/2ro_1W4QWw4/s320/LivingWell.png" border="0" /></a> Today will be another link-up post, and I am using part of my allotted <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">internet</span> time to blog about this so it will give some blog hoppers something to read. Not that my life is all that interesting, but I like to believe that some people will read it.<br /><br />For the Wednesday link-up post from Courtney at <a href="http://www.womenlivingwell.org/">http://www.womenlivingwell.org/</a> , we are to blog about virtually anything, so I am choosing to tell a little about my day, and how I stay organized.<br /><br />First, it's all about binders. I use binders for everything. I have one for coupons (yes, I am one of those coupon moms) and I have one with several folders for receipts, bills, and other documents. I organize all my coupons with baseball card holders so I can see them at a glance, and they are categorized alphabetically with divided tabs.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631440934126799074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s5o_vy-7VGQ/TiblsWQ4yOI/AAAAAAAAAsw/5HtmhicT7Xs/s320/IMG_1669.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631440944487487218" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NwOUDe0DXY8/Tibls83EVvI/AAAAAAAAAs4/Wl7PL9gvghU/s320/IMG_1671.JPG" border="0" /><br />I have been using binders ever since I can remember. My life feels chaotic if it lacks organization. I love this time at year at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Wal</span>-Mart- school supplies! I have been out of school for 12 years, but I still find a use for all those cheap supplies.<br /><br />Another thing that keeps me organized is a daily schedule of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">household</span> chores. I have specific tasks assigned to designated days so I'm not cleaning my entire house every single day. I came up with this plan about 4 years ago when I was exhausted from a small infant, and felt like nothing was ever getting done. I designed it to fit around my husband's work schedule so I have fewer things to do on the weekends, and the heavier cleaning is done through the week. However, that schedule has been put on the back burner for the time being due to boxes being packed in every corner, and living in the middle of selling and buying a house. Hopefully it won't be too much longer, and we will be in our new house. </div><br /><div><br />So, there you have it folks. Just a few things that I do to stay organized, and make life easier for myself.<br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/373/97C1890DB25EFD37274D074EBBFF4A6E.png" /></a></div></div>natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11853961883288396701noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4629865027295603815.post-16968533073341024352011-07-19T21:32:00.003-04:002011-07-19T22:00:58.990-04:00What a difference..Today was day one of my <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">commitment</span> to not spending as much time online, and let me tell you what a difference it made with Shayna. The blog I had read that gave me this idea was originally meant to make sure that technology is not <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">interfering</span> with your marriage. I took it a step further and decided to do a little experiment to see how it would affect my daughter if her mommy wasn't constantly attached to the laptop. The results were this:<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631244801629443394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nw1OhGP2Q9M/TiYzT7xjVUI/AAAAAAAAAsY/v2LNcgfcJfs/s320/IMG_1897.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631244795718520482" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VmqT2xx7xB0/TiYzTlwRzqI/AAAAAAAAAsQ/T4c578AL_rs/s320/IMG_1895.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631244786453671314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p5UcJQ9UAOQ/TiYzTDPXbZI/AAAAAAAAAsI/aJfHlcYakGs/s320/IMG_1892.JPG" border="0" /><br />These were taken right before bedtime, and she was in my lap just laughing like crazy. I decided to start randomly snapping pictures, and I captured the moment very well. We had a great day, and I had her practice writing her name so she could brush up on that skill. She starts her new preschool next month, and I want her teacher to see just how smart she is, and what she is capable of doing.<br /><br />Since it was so humid and hot outside, I had to improvise and find things for her to do instead of just watching <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">tv</span>. I think once we get moved I will get some fun things for crafts and make a storage area for everything. After all, winter will be here before you know it, and we'll be stuck inside a lot then as well.<br /><br />After seeing how well she did with me focusing more of my attention on her, I feel so guilty for the amount of time I used to spend on here, but we know that the past can not be changed, so I am trying to do something about it now. I don't want her memories of being a child to include feeling like she was second to my laptop because she definitely is NOT!<br /><br />All of my blogging and things that take up the most time will now be done when she is bed for the night, and my days will be spent teaching and playing with her. After all, they are only young once.<br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/373/97C1890DB25EFD37274D074EBBFF4A6E.png" /></a>natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11853961883288396701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4629865027295603815.post-34514123606494342822011-07-18T22:33:00.003-04:002011-07-19T00:14:22.282-04:00Media and marriage.<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-soiioaUnoGM/TiUEYmZpHlI/AAAAAAAAAsA/1V4b_KBf56o/s1600/lop.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630911729768144466" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-soiioaUnoGM/TiUEYmZpHlI/AAAAAAAAAsA/1V4b_KBf56o/s320/lop.bmp" border="0" /></a> We have all seen it before- marriages falling apart due to social networks and technology, or so that is the excuse we see. Now, while I can see that things like <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Facebook</span> could be a tool to meet someone for an affair, I do not agree that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Facebook</span> (or any other social network) is the cause for any marriage to fail <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">solely</span> in itself. A person has to want to have an affair, and they must be actively seeking that double life.<br /><br />I believe that we must be responsible and cautious when using the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">internet</span> so we do not put ourselves in a position that could hurt our spouse. If there is something you are doing online that you would not want your spouse to see, then you are doing something wrong. It's as simple as that.<br /><br />With that said, this a link-up post that I'm doing from <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Courtney</span> at <a href="http://womenlivingwell.org/">http://womenlivingwell.org/</a> about media affecting our marriage.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630910514926411602" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 126px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1x77wHGfiJQ/TiUDR4wzX1I/AAAAAAAAAr4/hBP1s7f5T_A/s320/Media-Mondays-150px.jpg" border="0" /><br />I will be the first to admit that I spend too much time online, and after reading her blog, I want to make it a goal to spend far less time in front of the laptop screen. Between Twitter, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Facebook</span>, and several groups that I admin or own on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Cafemom</span>, I spend several hours a day online. I don't honestly know how many, but I know it's too much.<br /><br />I am going to make a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">commitment</span> right now to spend the majority of my time online after Shayna is in bed. She is 4-years-old, and I don't want to wake up a few years from now and realize that I wasted my time online, rather than playing with my child and savoring every moment with her. She is already growing up way too fast.<br /><br />I will also need to start dedicating more time to my husband vs. the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">internet</span>. He works third shift right now, so that means not sitting in this chair after he wakes up and worrying about who said what on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Cafemom</span>, or constantly checking my Twitter and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Facebook</span> accounts.<br /><br />I think this will be very good for me and for my marriage, not that it's in trouble or anything, but I'm always looking for ways to strengthen my bond with my husband.natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11853961883288396701noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4629865027295603815.post-76915249242095993332011-07-13T10:36:00.002-04:002011-07-13T11:49:17.804-04:00Getting oldAs I sit here watching "Golden Girls ," (a show that I used to make fun of my grandma for watching), I realize that I am getting way too close to 30. If someone would have told me 10 years ago that I'd be married to the love of my life, raising a daughter, and spending my days as a stay-at-home mom, I would have laughed in their face. <br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><br /><div>My life is better that I could have imagined it. God has blessed me with a man that provides for his family, and a man with his priorities straight.<br /><br />He has worked hard to build up his credit, and it has truly paid off. In order to get the house that we really wanted, we had to take out a mortgage loan. It's not something that I wanted to do, but you have to pay for the finer things in life. We have made a commitment to buckle down, and get the loan paid off within the next 9 years instead of extending it out for the full term of 30. In order to do this, we will have to take every tax return for those next 9 years and apply to the loan.<br /><br />Anyways, on to talk about the new house. It's not in Kentucky where we wanted go originally. It's still in Indiana, but it' s a lot closer to family that where we are now, and it's a way shorter drive to David's work, which I know he is going to love. It literally has everything we ever wanted. It's on 15 acres, giving us more room for cattle, we can get into sheep, and there are hay fields there as well to feed the critters in the winter. There is a nice barn that is already set up for chickens on the inside, and there is some fencing already set up. It has twice the speed of internet that we can get now, and it's cheaper!<br /><br />The only disadvatages are that we had to take Shayna out of her preschool. We found her a new one that is on the same road as our new house though, and they do a lot of the same things that her old one did. The house also needs some updating, but it's not like we have never done that before, lol.<br /><br />Here are some pics of the new house. It's also brick, and to be able to get a brick ranch with the amount of land, at the price we did, was an absolute steal.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628864116822504418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_8tg9Kw9pPg/Th2-F1wl8-I/AAAAAAAAAro/FklLqgUWFvk/s320/IMG_1739.JPG" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628864109418932482" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jL334274ppY/Th2-FaLcaQI/AAAAAAAAArg/dH5tsVVpXAg/s320/IMG_1727.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628864097521017826" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0_p1SiiE3ME/Th2-Et2wo-I/AAAAAAAAArY/y2kfoHMK92A/s320/IMG_1723.JPG" border="0" /><br /></div></div></div></div>natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11853961883288396701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4629865027295603815.post-53657812308622268522011-07-11T21:45:00.003-04:002011-07-11T22:30:44.571-04:00Oh the things that can happen...Since the last time I blogged, our house has sold and we found another one. Shayna turned 4, and finished her first year of preschool. Look at how big she is getting:<br /><br /><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628277113058990258" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q5-MxBnY9h4/ThuoNuVXmLI/AAAAAAAAAqo/rsyL6cRfn08/s320/IMG_1802.JPG" border="0" /><br />On to the house business now. We received a good offer on our current home in June- 3 weeks before our contract was due to be up. We were convinced that we were going to stay here. So <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">convinced</span> that we strung a bunch of fence for cattle pasture. That next week, after doing all that work, was when the offer came in.<br /><br />We searched high and low in Kentucky, but due to the Kentucky Speedway being located in the area we wanted to live, we could no longer find a place in our budget, and I refuse to downgrade and buy a double wide. </p><br /><p>We wound up finding a nice brick ranch house on 15 acres with a barn outside of Vevay, IN. That is a lot closer to family, and it's only 15 minutes from David's work. We close on July 29, and I have been busy packing up boxes.<br /><br />I will talk more about the new house in another post. I wanted to get this posted before I forgot. I'm getting sleepy, and am off to bed to watch some <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">tv</span> and fall asleep.<br /></p><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/373/97C1890DB25EFD37274D074EBBFF4A6E.png" /></a>natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11853961883288396701noreply@blogger.com0