Happy Homemaker Monday

The weather in my neck of the woods:
Wet and rainy.  Constant thunderstorms for like a week now.  It's been great!!!


Things that make me happy:
Snuggling with the Hubs.


Book I'm reading:
The Strong Willed Child by Dr. James Dobson


What's on my TV today:
nothing for me.  I don't watch much TV


On the menu for dinner:
We had taco salad

On my To Do List:
Laundry
Dishes
Schooling


New Recipe I tried or want to try soon:
Made some lentils and sausage.  IT was yummy!  First time I ever had or made lentils.

In the craft basket:

Fixing a dress for a friend's daughter

Looking forward to this week:
It's 'Lab Week' for the Hubs' job, so we'll have a picnic at the end of the week. I'm not fond of many people he works with and they return the sentiments, so it should be interesting. ;)


Tips and Tricks:
Relax!  Take a break.  It was great to get out a few times this week and not worry about anything.  The Hubs took the kids and I hung out with some friends.  It was nice. :)
 



My favorite blog post this week:
None really this week...didn't get much blog reading done...


Blog Hopping (a new discovered blog you would like to share with the readers):
None much



No words needed (favorite photo or picture, yours or others you want to share):
I don't have any...

Lesson learned the past few days:
Same thing about taking a break!!! :D


On my mind:
An unspoken prayer...God knows.
Prayers for people affected by the storms/tornados this past week.
Praying a lot for our President...I feel he really needs guidance, but isn't willing to listen.


Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:
Jesus turned and saw her. "Take heart, daughter," he said, "your faith has healed you." And the woman was healed from that moment.
Matthew 9:22

ABC's of Me

Here's a super cheesy MySpace-esque post.  :)  If you ever had MySpace, do you remember in the beginning when you could write those cool bulletins?  I thought they were cool anyway, but I was like 15...haha  That's one thing I liked better about MySpace over FaceBook.  I have slowly come to loathe FaceBook as well though.  It eats up so much of my day...I'll sit down to look at ONE thing and get sucked in forever.  It's like I have no self control when it comes to that website.  I'm 'fasting' from it this week leading to Easter...and I'm already having withdrawl symptoms...lol    I actually logged on earlier today because I actually had a mini emergency (there were big nasty storms rolling through and the 'big voice' PA system thing said something, but I didn't hear it.  You never know what it's going to be saying so I NEEDED to know.)  Logged onto FB for 5 minutes to check, and was on there sporadically all day. Grrrrr.  Just need to have a bit more self control I guess!

Anyhoo-onto the point of this post.  
ABC's of ME! :)
A. Age: 23.  Yes I am aware that I am a baby. ;)
B. Bed size: Double/Full.  When we were first married we had a twin!  hahaha  We were SO poor back then, but we made it work.  I would like a bigger bed since we're invaded by hooligans nearly every night...but I also love that in our little bed there's not much room to go except cuddling with each other. <3
C. Chore you hate: Folding and putting away laundry. Despise it.  Seriously, you will usually find a big pile of clean laundry in The Hubs' recliner.   He rarely sits in it.
D. Dogs: No.  We have had terrible luck with dogs.  I don't want another dog for a LONG time, if ever.
E. Essential start to your day: Quiet time with God.
F. Favorite color: Yellow, followed closely by purple
G. Gold or silver: White Gold.
H. Height: 5’4”
I. Instruments you play: I played the flute for a few years.  I also played the cymbals in band one year when I got mad and quit colorguard but couldn't get out of band-does that count? ;)
J. Job title: Mama, teacher, cook, nurse, maid, chauffeur, masseuse, playmate, alarm clock, accountant, human resources, conflict resolution, wife, daughter, friend, sister.
K. Kids: Blessed with two so far.  Prayerfully considering adoption. <3
L. Live: In a rundown WWII era, leaky roof, windows don't keep the cold/heat out/in, electric/gas is outrageous, no water pressure, super drama neighborhood military housing.  Even with all the complaints, I LOVE it. :)
M. Mom’s name: Tami (I have no idea if my mother reads my blog.  If she does-look for my body since I just used her first name. hahaha)  (ps-she goes by Michelle, her middle name.)
N. Nicknames: Punky (Punky Brewster), Lannie, Anna Jo, Banana
O. Overnight hospital stays: When I had Bones I stayed for 3 days.  When I was pregnant with Cupcake I fell down a huge flight of stairs and was admitted to the NeoNatal ICU and they had to stop her from coming several times.  And then of course when she was born I stayed for 2 days.  I was amazed that I had to stay longer after a vaginal birth than a cesarean.  I was terrified to go home with her.  I kept begging the Dr to let me stay...lol
P. Pet peeve: One-uppers.  You know them.  You tell them this story about something and they always have something better than you.  So annoying!
Q. Quote from a movie: "For what it's worth, it's never too late to be whoever you want to be." Brad Pitt in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
R. Right or left handed: Right.
S. Siblings: One little sister and one little brother.
T. Time you wake up: 800/830ish
U. Underwear: Plain Jane underoos...
V. Vegetables you dislike: Raw green peppers. Blech
W. What makes you run late: Finding shoes.  I always put our shoes away on a little shelf we have by the door, but Cupcake swipes mine every time. Grr
X. X-Rays you’ve had: Oh goodness...WAY too many to count.
Y. Yummy food you make: Everything! ;)  I'm an awesome cook.  When we were first married The Hubs used to say I could burn a pot of boiling water.  I was an awful cook back then!
Z. Zoo – favorite animal: Otters!  I love otters!  So cute.

Happy Homemaker Monday

The weather in my neck of the woods:
It's finally feeling like Spring! :)  Right now it's 62 and partly sunny.


Things that make me happy:
Finally making friends here!  (It's only been a year, sheesh!!!lol)


Book I'm reading:
I'm reading several right now:
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
The Unschooled Mind
Parenting the Strong Willed Child by Dr. James Dobson


What's on my TV today:
Nothing for me.  I missed Army Wives last night, but I'll catch up later this week.


On the menu for dinner:
Meatloaf or Spaghetti Squash...I've not yet decided

On my To Do List:
Laundry
Get busy on gardening stuff


New Recipe I tried or want to try soon:
Tried a new Salisbury Steak recipe.  It was great.  I'll post it later this week. :)

In the craft basket:

Fixing a dress for a friend
Teaching KK to crosstich a cute little duck thing


Looking forward to this week:
Getting the garden started.  The Hubs re-enlisting.  Good Friday and Easter services at church.  I'm going to do the cardboard testimony after Easter service...prayed long and hard about it, and I'm going to do it.


Tips and Tricks:
None this week...


My favorite blog post this week:
Many at a new blog I actually JUST found this morning. :)

Blog Hopping (a new discovered blog you would like to share with the readers):
Red Dirt Chronicles  LOVE it. :)   Makes me miss Oklahoma though...



No words needed (favorite photo or picture, yours or others you want to share):
I don't have any uploaded to the computer yet...

Lesson learned the past few days:
I realllly need to take better care of myself all around...


On my mind:
Bones is sick...hope he feels better.  Japan.  Everyone affected by the tornadoes this past week/weekend.  A special pray God knows is on The Hubs heart as well as mine...


Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:

No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

1 John 4:12

Happy Homemaker Monday

The weather in my neck of the woods:
We hit 80ish degrees Sunday!  It was hot, humid and lovely!  I have been SO ready for spring!


Things that make me happy:
Bones accepting Jesus as his Lord and Savior.  I wasn't there for it (he did it in Sunday School), and that made me a little sad at first.  The Hubs reminded me that it isn't about me though, it's between Bones and the Man upstairs.  I am so proud of him. <3


Book I'm reading:
None at the moment, but my friend Anna over at Our Crazy Homeschooling Family lent me a couple books last week.  They were fabulous!!!  'Her Mother's Hope' and 'Her Daughter's Dream' by Francine Rivers were fantastic reads.  I loved them!


What's on my TV today:
Sunday is Army Wives and Coming Home.  I rarely watch TV other than those 2 shows.


On the menu for dinner:
Beans, cornbread and pan fried potatoes.  Yum. :)

On my To Do List:
Homeschool class at church
Laundry
Dishes
Schooling


New Recipe I tried or want to try soon:
Made some tortillas last week.  This week I'm going to try to dehydrate some things.  If it turns out well I'll share. :)

In the craft basket:

Nothing crafty.  Just a few socks that need darning and a teddy bear that needs his head sewn back on.

Looking forward to this week:
Hearing Ken Ham speak at church again.  Getting some order in this house and starting a new Bible study.


Tips and Tricks:
Keep your orange peels.  I keep mine in a mason jar with some vinegar and water.  After a few days I pour the liquid into a spray bottle and toss the peels down the drain.  I dilute the liquid in the spray bottle with some water and voila, orange cleaner.  This stuff is AWESOME on getting grease off the stove.  Love this stuff! :)



My favorite blog post this week:
 Andrea at Sgt and Mrs Hub is great.  Wonderful writer and beautiful pictures.  :)

Blog Hopping (a new discovered blog you would like to share with the readers):
Not necessarily a new blog, but Toni at The Happy Housewife is fabulous! Read her blog!  Everything from Homeschool, to military life and frugality.  She's great!


No words needed (favorite photo or picture, yours or others you want to share):

KK is SUCH a stinker!!! Went to get the oil changed and the Midas man thanked her for 'mopping his floor with her pretty tights'.  Oy vey!

Lesson learned the past few days:
Way too many lessons learned to post here.  I am learning more about everything every day, and I am so thankful for that. :)


On my mind:
The Hubs re-enlisting soon.
Family back in Oklahoma

Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:

'my son, do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths; for their feet rush into sin, they are swift to shed blood.' – Proverbs 1:15-16 (NIV) 

Swiftness is one of the characteristics of sin in the Scripture. Whether it is the adulterous woman in Proverbs 7 who runs to a young man or this depiction of the wicked rushing to shed blood, there is an urgency that sin thrusts upon us. How many decisions did we hastily make that caused us sorrow later on? Sometimes it is better to purposely wait, to walk away, and in so doing, keep away from the paths of wickedness.

April fun. :)

I joined up with a fun little blog, and you can too!



The WHOLE month of April, I plan to get outside with the kids for at least 30 minutes a day, no matter what.  I am awful about going outside.  I really am.  I wasn't allowed to play outside much when I was little, and even if I were we lived in apartments and trailer parks and neither had much yard to play in.  Because of that, I don't really have much of an imagination.  I just never really learned how to use it.

I am envious of The Hubs because he lived in the woods and had 4 brothers and a million cousins around to play with.  They built forts, played in the creek, ran all over the woods, had rock fights (oh my...), made up gmaes and just always had fun. 

I want my kids to have that.  I know that in the world we live in, I can't just let my kids wander off and play.  I freak out if Bones rides his bike out of the little circle around the playground.  I can however, get outside and play with them.  Teach them to dig in the mud, and build forts and all the stuff I longed to do but never did. 

I'm trying to think of things we can do, but also don't want it to be too structured.  I just want the kids to get outside and get dirty! :D

Blessings,

Anna Joy

Happy Homemaker Monday

The weather in my neck of the woods:

The high today is 38, but I'm realllllly hoping Spring is just around the corner! :)


Things that make me happy:
Zumba!  Happy kids! :)


Book I'm reading:
Same Life, New Story.  It's a 10 week Bible Study for women.  I'll be blogging about it soon.


What's on my TV today:
Nothing today, but it's only 6 days until the only TV show I watch comes back on!!! Army Wives!  :D :D :D


On the menu for dinner:
Whatever the hubs decides.  I am off duty today! :D

On my To Do List:
Schooling
Dishes
Grocery List
Relax


New Recipe I tried or want to try soon:
I want to try a billion new ones.  Hopefully this week I'll be trying a few new ones from Pioneer Woman. :)

In the craft basket:

 I need to sew a few pouches and some more doll clothes for KK.


Looking forward to this week:
Going to the Science museum tomorrow and going to do learning centers with another homeschool family on Friday.


Tips and Tricks:
You don't need fancy cleaners most times, just a little patience and some elbow grease.  Bones spilled jelly on the counter and didn't tell me.  I just sprayed a little water on it, set a rag on top of it and let it sit for a few minutes then scrub it up.  No biggie!  :)




My favorite blog post this week:
None really.


Blog Hopping (a new discovered blog you would like to share with the readers):
None this week. Sorry!


No words needed (favorite photo or picture, yours or others you want to share):

This isn't recent, but it's one I found recently...and I love it. :)

Lesson learned the past few days:
That I am truly exactly where I am supposed to be for this season of my life.  :)  No doubt about it.


On my mind:
Still the unrest in the Middle East.  I am so scared for Israel...praying constantly.  At least we have the assurance that God will take care of Her! :)


Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:

So many people miss out on all that God has for them because of guilt & condemnation. He pours out His blessing on us not because of what we do, but because of who He is. His blessings are based on His goodness, not ours. Open your heart and get ready because He is pouring out His goodness upon you, one blessing after another! "From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another" John 1:16

My Dresser

Recently, my husband got me a new (to me) dresser.  I was able to pass my great grandmother's dresser onto my daughter (and have a LOT more room for my clothes).  In the dresser The Hubs got me, the bottoms of the drawers are covered in old newsprint.  There are ads for really nice men's watches for $12, Chevrolet cars with Whitewall tires, ads for meat (that actually is incredibly expensive by today's standards-thank you gov't subsidies  :/ ), ads for dresses and dressmaking patterns...it's lovely!  Mixed in with all these ads are old news-stories, and ad space purchased by companies.

One of my favorite news stories is talking about how 'People Refuse to Play Nosy Neighbor When the Indiana Welfare Rolls Opened'.  It talks about how so many people were illegally getting on the rolls and nobody was paying attention.  About how if this was kept up, someday the rolls were going to be severely overflowing and the government was going to be in huge amounts of debt because of this, (sound familiar?) that there was no way to cover the costs of all these programs without ensuring that only the truly needy were enrolling.  Hmmm...look at where we are today.


My absolute favorite thing in all the drawers of the dresser though, is a square of space purchased by Louisiana Pacific.  Here is what is said in this small space, forever imprinted under my t-shirts:

         Okay America, On Your Feet

For too long we've been waiting for others to solve our problems.  City Hall. The State House. Uncle Sam. The Government. But somehow the problems just keep getting bigger. Things don't work. We're immobilized by partisanship and petty politics. Worst of all, we're beginning to doubt ourselves.  Maybe Yankee Doodle isn't so dandy anymore.  There's a gnawing feeling that the good old days may be gone forever. And we wait. And feel helpless. And grow depressed.

Well, it's time we stopped fretting about America and started doing something about America. Each one of us. Right where we live. Starting today. This minute. And that's where YOU come in. Do something positive in your own neighborhood. Make your home and yard a place to be proud of. Encourage your neighbor to do the same. Lend a hand. Encourage the young. Reach out to the disadvantaged. Take control of the things you can control.

If you're concerned about the course America is taking, don't take it lying down. Take part. Prove that one man can make a difference. You'll be amazed at how others will follow. A better America depends on better Americans. Together we can turn things around. Yes we can!

This morning at church, the Pastor said something that intrigued me.  Something I'd never considered before, but that should have been glaringly obvious.  As Christians, we KNOW that if we're believers in God, if we do good in His eyes, if we follow His teachings in His Word, if we give to Him -- He returns the favor!  He blesses us beyond reason!  The poverty level in America is somewhere near 14%.  America is increasingly turning her back on the teachings of God.  If (the majority) of America is not giving thanks where it belongs, if we're not doing what we ought to do -- then why SHOULD He bless us? 

On that note, what are YOU doing to help others in need?  I do NOT believe in Socialism/Communism whatever... I believe if you're not willing to put in the work then you don't reap the benefits. Don't work = don't eat.  However, I think that as Christians we have a duty to help others.  To build them up and help them out until they can get on their feet.  Not to do FOR them, that becomes a vicious cycle...  But to pray over them, to build them up, to encourage them. 

Welfare and programs like it are truly the downfall of our society.  Why would anyone WANT to work for themselves when they make more from a Welfare check/foodstamps/healthcare?  What have these programs done to build people up?  To show them the pride you get from a day's wages?  To know that YOU put in the work and you EARNED every cent that is given to you for it?  We're teaching people that they're incapable of fending for themselves and their families.  Whatever happened to "teaching  man to fish", rather than just giving him everything?  Why should men stay to help raise the children they helped bring into the world?  The State can probably provide for them better than he can, right? :/  This leads to the breakdown of the family system in America. 

No family system.  No God. Wefare rolls overflowing.  Debt beyond control. 

What are YOU doing to help America???  Me? I'm praying.  I'm trying hard to encourage others.  America CAN be great again...the Good Old Days don't have to be over -- but only we can do something about it.


(I know this post went in a thousand different directions, and I know that not everyone will agree with me...but this is who I am.  I am passionate about my God, America and I LOVE politics.)