Autumn Leaves (Failed to post on Saturday and went to draft post)

Friday morning I hosted my first play date for my small group within my MOPS group.  It was one at a local park where we painted pumpkins and played.  Only one mom and her son (3) were able to come because of vacations but we had a blast.  Little Eli was so much fun and so fearless. I was surprised at him running and sliding!!

Pumpkin I painted for Tempe

Friday night we took off and drove to a near by town and their fall street festival.  I am a little obsessed with street festivals this time of year.  I love to walk around and people watch and see all different types of crafts.  Tempe is going to be just like me when it comes to this!  While we walked around she waved and said "hey" to people.  She had so much fun and it brought so much joy to me to watch her smile and try to talk to everyone.  Things are still no new to her and she is learning and experiencing so much that the looks in her eyes are worth all five years of tears, meds, doctors, and anything else we had to go through to get her here.  It is just so amazing not only to watch her but realize that yes we did do this.  Even with never knowing what was wrong and being told that they couldn't find out why we couldn't have a baby and thinking that there was a possibility of never having a baby we did it!  We have our daughter, she is here, in our arms!  It was a great evening just us three as a family all on our own.  We do so much with extended family and friends, which we love, but it was nice just to be us for a change.

Operation Christmas Child

If you have never heard of Operation Christmas Child it is a program that has been around for years (I looked but couldn't find the exact number) that is through Samaritan's Purse.  What happens is people like you and I fill shoe boxes with different items for children and then volunteers take those shoe boxes to different countries where children other wise would not get gifts and give them the boxes.  What makes this so special is that those volunteers minister to the children that may not have ever heard of God or Jesus. 

I can remember doing this as a child and plan to do it every year with Tempe.  It is very important to Josh and I to teach her to give back.  Even at this young of an age we involve her in the work we do.  When she gets older she will be allowed to choose which she wants to be involved in but will have to be involved in something.  I hope to encourage her to not only do work for other countries but also work here in her own town as well.  We are just so blessed to have what we have and God has given us every bit of it that we feel it is important to give back.  I have done volunteer work ever since I was in middle school.  Most of which I do not tell about but this is so easy and great to do that I wanted to share it with you.

If you would like more information on Operation Christmas Child click here or comment and ask!

Matthew 6:3-4 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:  That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

Everything Happens For a Reason

This morning I attended my MOPS meeting.  Not only do we have fun play dates, MNO (mom's night out), and great friendships but we have some awesome guest speakers. 

Some of the great food we have at our meetings!

Today's guest speaker, Jennifer, was from our local pregnancy center.  She told a lot about what she does and the center is there for but more than that her testimony was very moving.  She had found herself a pregnant teen within a Christian home. She told us how difficult that was for her and she had turned to this center for help.  She wonderfuly chose to keep her baby and 20 years later found herself in her parents position when her daughter got pregnant out of wedlock and by what she called "a real loser".  She had returned to the pregnancy center years later and became an employee there.  She has been able to use her experience to help other young mothers that come into the center for help.  I can not tell her story near as well as she does and this is not nearly all she told us but there was not a dry eye in the place, including hers.  She was a very good Christian woman and was telling us how we may not see why things happen but they all happen for a reason and that God will give us the opportunity to use our experiences to help others.  As she had first as a teen mother with her own daughter and then as a mother to a pregnant teen mom.  This was a very moving testimony for many of us within the group.  Just one of the stories she told us was of a young college girl that came in pregnant.  She had been to another pregnancy center and they had not given her any information other than that she was 13 weeks pregnant.  Jennifer took the time to councel her.  The young girl wanted an abortion and had not even been told that was not an option this far along, she would have to birth the baby.  They had done any ultrasound but not shown her the baby.  Jennifer took her to the doctor's office the center uses and let her have another ultrasound and see the baby.  The girl later gave birth to a little boy that she is now raising and will be returning to college soon.  Because Jennifer took the time this other center did not to counsel and help this young woman she was able to keep her baby and the baby will grow up with his mother.  ALL of our experiences can help others even when we don't think so, good or bad.  God has a great plan for each of us. 

Our wonderful speaker.

Our group of lovely ladies!

God is so GREAT

God is so great isn't he!!!  I have had a wonderful few days and am just so thankful to Him for everything He has provided me and my family.  I have a wonderful husband that loves God and us. He cares and provides for us in more ways than I ever imagined possible.  We have our beautiful daughter that has brought us so much joy and teaches us something everyday. In this world today so many people are hurting in so many ways that I am just so greatful for what I have.  If someone asked me tomorrow to give up every material thing I have in order to spend my life with these two people I wouldn't hesitate before I said yes. 

Today was Josh's day off so we took advantage of the beautiful weather and went to the zoo. It was so much fun as always and Tempe was such a good girl! 

Getting Crafty, Sorda!!

I love doing crafts.  All kinds of crafts.  But I have relized that I haven't taken any pictures of ones I have done lately.  Haha!!!  I also love searching for craft ideas.  All types.  I like home decor, kids, anything crafty.  Tonight I have been searching online for crafts and found a really cool site, Dollar Store Crafts!!  All kinds of things to make with stuff you buy at the dollar store!  I am going to be checking this site out often!

Coupon Notebook

One of the ways I save our family money is to clip coupons on Sunday's out of the local paper.  I found when I started this that I would clip the coupon and then not use it or it would expire before I remembered I had it.  The way I fixed this is I bought myself a handy dandy notebook!

The first thing in the notebook is a zipper pouch.  In it I put a pair of scissors, extra tabs, a pen, etc.

Next in the notebook I put baseball card sleeves to stick the coupons in.  I separated these by aisle at the grocery store.  For example Baking, Cookies and Crackers, Can Goods, etc.  I put the coupons in the sleeves so that I can see what the product is and exp. date. 

After all of my coupons I have a section of recipes that I want to try and ones we use often but I just can seem to remember everything that goes in it!

And I have a page protector that I put all of my recipes in.  At one point I want to add a list of items we buy each week and the price of them so that I can look and see if another store has them on sale.

I am currently creating a weekly calendar that has a place to right what meals we will have and a shopping list so that I will know just what I need.  I am a lover of lists so this really helps me.  And helps me not buy unnecessary things!!!

I know it sounds like a lot but once I got the notebook together now each week I clip the coupons I think I will need and then make my list of items I need for the week.  I plan out all of our meals so that I can use leftovers to make another meal the next day.  I have found this really helps me to save my family money!!  It feels so good when the cashier totals our bill and I hand her the coupons and she scans then and I see just how much I saved!!

What things have you found that helps you with using coupons?

How to center that header you just added!

This is going to get a little harder!!

First go to Dashboard then Desgin
Then you will go to Edit HTML

Next you will need to press Ctrl and F on your keyboard.  A box will come up at the top of your screen. In that box type ] ] > < / b : skin > Without the spaces.

It will highlight that code in the HTML.

Once you find that area you will need to copy and paste the following BEFORE ] ] > < / b : skin >

#header-inner img {margin: 0 auto !important;}

#header-inner {text-align:center !important;}

Then click PREVIEW first. It should open in a new window. Make sure everything looks correct and then close that window.  You may now "SAVE TEMPLATE".

Your header is now in the center of your background!!