Big blessings come in small cards!

This week has been crazy. A learning experience for us. I always wonder what God is doing when little things happen that are frustrating and actually don’t even seem that little, instead  HUGE at the time. We have been going through Dave Ramsey and learning how to spend our money wisely. For us it hasn’t been spending extra money, it has been making sure we pay ALL of our bills first and then work with what is left! It stinks! I hate it! But I am trusting that the end results will be worth it!

So this week pay day was unlike no recent pay day. Tim spent all Sunday night paying bills and writing checks (tithe first :)- all the things we are doing now). When all was said and done, we had 7.00 left in our account. Gas has gone up, so our gas money is even short! Ahhh. It can be stressful. But Tim and I both felt satisfied that everything was caught up and I assured him we would make it work…all wondering HOW we would.

THEN MONDAY CAME!!!!! Tim walked into the bank to get our cash out (another Dave R. rule). Well in our bank, Washington Mutual, a teller does not count cash and automatic teller does. Without thinking Tim walked outside to count the money…because seriously how often does a machine in a bank count money wrong? Well we are in the minority because they shorted him 80.00. He ran back in, but there was nothing to be done. Tim is one of the most honest men I know, but that is rare and the bank cannot take his word for it. He was bummed! He went back the next day to check and there was no record of shorting anyone money.  He called me so frustrated. I told him not to worry. God was in control…and well maybe someone needed 80.00 and got it (hopefully not the bank :). I told him if I needed to I would back off on going places and we would just do what we could to make up for it. Although my feelings were wondering why God was in control of allowing 80 NEEDED dollars disappear from us with no fault on our part. 

Well, today is Friday and Tim is on a 1/4 of a tank with less than 8.00 of gas money and 7.00 in the account to last us for another week and a half!!!! I still am not understanding, but today we feel loved. On the way out to school the kids came in and said “Mom and Dad, this has your names on it”. We opened up a yellow envelope and inside was written:

WOW! Now maybe someone heard Tim talking about it. I am not sure if this person knew we were out of 80 dollars and was deciding to fill a need, but whatever the reason, we feel extremely blessed. I am not sure they knew and that is even more amazing that they gave the exact amount. God is good. There are times when we feel lost and forgotten….and frustrated. I was reminded today that God is in control of EVERY situation. It may not make sense and it may not be fair, but today, through our situation, were able to see how God loves us. 

To the person who met this need. THANK YOU! Tears come to my eyes as I write. You listened and blessed! Maybe you will never read this blog. Maybe you will never know our small story. BUT thank you for sacrificing for us this week and through it showing us how BIG and how AWESOME our God is! It will not be forgotten!!!!

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I am no Martha Stewart!

I have never or will ever pretend to have it all together! I am often quite the opposite. I forget things (ALL the time!). I often run in circles (literally) in the house figuring out what thing to do…and then I am reminded of something right there, and then over there. My mind is in a constant whirl wind of everything. I am unorganized. I start many projects but only complete a few. It is me, it is who I am. I really try…REALLY, but no matter who, what when or where, most often I cannot get it together.

But today….ah today. I did something amazing (to me). I do realize that most who read this will be completely unimpressed and really don’t care, but this is my blog so I will continue to write. I made APPLE BUTTER. I know, I know. But I didn’t know that I could make APPLE BUTTER and I did. It kind of started like this. Last Friday (Sabbath/date day) Tim and I went and picked apples. Ok, Tim picked them I caught them.

He climbed all the way to the top of the tree and picked the very best apples and threw them down to me. As he threw and I caught,  I thought for sure he was going to comment on the fact that I hardly missed any throw he made. I was back hand catching and everything…all the skills I used in T-ball when I was a second grader. He didn’t notice, but as I caught the apples I was thinking that it was a good thing I knew how to catch. For one drop could bruise the precious apple and I had plans for them, wonderful plans.

So I had apples…lots of apples. There was a world of apples for me to explore. This morning I woke up strapped on my Apples of Gold apron, with my name on it.

I got out the pampered chef apple slicer/peeler/corer and juicer and got to work. Out of it came a gallon and a half of cider, 6 ziploc freezer bags of frozen slices with sugar for apple pie, and NOW APPLE BUTTER.

I have worked all morning (while editing) on apple butter and cider. Did I mention while sipping coffee and listening to Christmas music (not allowed to be played when Tim is home…YET). It was a wonderful Day.

I also made a homemade pumpkin pie  this week from the pumpkin.

Might I say, I am not Martha Stewart (by any means), but today with my apron securely around my waist I felt like just for a moment that I didn’t have ADD and Martha would be proud.

***I must add that seconds after writing this I left the house to pick the kids up and locked myself out of the house…TWICE. I do have a secret break in method, thank you God, but it still is time consuming! So now you know why this one moment was important enough to blog about.***

Bunny Love!

When Cayden was barely 2 she was playing outside. I always keep a watchful eye on my children even when I am not directly outside. I couldn’t help but stop and watch her her play with a stuffed animal. She was just starting to get into the mothering side of things so I enjoyed watching her nurture things. She took on stuffed animals over dolls. She propped this animal on her shoulder patted it’s back and loved it. I saw her lift it in the air and spin and then hug it again as she seemed to be telling it something. Comforting it. I had never seen this stuffed animal before, but I was certain it belonged to the neighbor girl who was also in the back yard with her brother and Cobe. A few minutes went by and I peeked out to see her tend to her little animal. I would do this off and on for about 30-45 minutes. Then as I leaned on the door and watched in awe of this precious little gift God had given me all wrapped up in a girl, I noticed something odd. The dogs (The neighbor dog and Starbucks) were circling Cayden eagerly. I thought it odd and continued to watch. Then as if a switch were turned on I called Tim frantically. This is what we found(Sorry for it being sideways):

Neeless to say we thought that moment was funny enough to pro long bath time just for a recorded moment. Ever since that moment Cayden has had a love for bunnies. She would choose a stuffed bunny for Easter instead of anything else. She loved bunnies and has often asked for one. I know that they are messy and smelly, but no one is more aware of this than her father. So naturally the answer to her question when she asked if she could have one, was “No!”.  Well for a breif moment Cayden got her wish.

Tim was out mowing and saw Starbucks going crazy with his nose to the ground. Then out of nowhere a little tiny bunny hopped up out of the grass and ran for the fence. He didn’t make it far before he was caught in the chain link. Tim scooped him up to show Cayden. This rabbit was no bigger than the Hampster that escaped a few years back (I swear he lives in the crawl space). Oh so cute. What is it about cute things that make them irresistable. My need for a baby is far overdue so naturally I wanted to keep it and feed it…yes feed it formula. Because at it’s size it would need a bottle. So we quickly hopped in the car and backed down the driveway and then Tim stopped. There where the van previously sat was another bunny. At first we thought Cayden had somehow dropped the other bunny out of her purse (It’s current carrier), but no it was ANOTHER bunny. So Tim scooped it up and we headed to Pet Smart.

After talking to a “bunny expert” we headed out of the store with a can of $20.00 formula and some other needed items. Tim questioned releasing the rabbits in the store after seeing the potential cost, but I told him it was too late. His children were in love with the new additions. I even started thinking of how I could fit more stockings on the mantle for “Hoops and YoYo”! When we got home I took some pictures. I loved hearing Cayden talk about how she always wanted a rabbit. Tim and I laughed at how true that was. I was excited because if all went well I could actually have rabbits for photo shoots next Easter.

Well all was well for two and a half days. Tim and I switched on and off feeding and doing the other momma rabbit substitutions. The rabbits were thriving and finally going to the bathroom on their own. We sat them outside in their box while we did our nightly reading. It was precious. Later on that night I brought them in and set them on the stove and when the kids were put down Tim began heating their bottle up to feed them. He went to grab one of them from the box and he lifted up the white blanket which they snuggled in. Only this time they were not actually in the box. He began to question me on when I last saw them. I was certain they were in the box when I brought them inside…but with me and my ADD you never know. We searched everywhere. Then we found one behind the TV. So it led us to search even harder to find the other. After looking for over an hour we just knew the other had hopped out outside and was gone for good. The bunny who lagged behind was trying frantically to hop out of the box (by the way this hopping thing was also new for them). Tim wanted to release it, but I knew the kids needed to say good bye.

The next morning they let it go by some trees and that was that. UNTIL yesterday when Cayden told us to be quiet and come look. When we got to her location she showed us that she had found the bunny. Tim just laughed and said “He came back to you!” Then looked at me and said “Oh my dear God, what if we had not found this thing”. I just knew it would start living with the missing Hampster (He is everywhere). So Tim went and released Bunny number 2 (Hoops or YoYo). That is the end of the bunny drama for now. Although Cayden says that is what she wants for Christmas. We will see about that one.