The Week of Christmas!

It is so hard to believe that today is December 28th and that Christmas is over!! WOW!! Time really does fly by when you are having fun...well we are having a BLAST! We had an AMAZING week of Christmas!!! We decided at the beginning of December that we wanted to ENJOY this holiday season as a family!!! So many times we have gotten all wrapped up in everything and just "gotten through" the season, but not this year!! We totally LOVED everything about this Christmas season!!!

I had my 2 annual ornament parties and enjoyed each of them tremendously!! We attended a few Christmas parties with friends which is always fun! I LOVE to be the hostess, but it is also fun to see my friends get excited about having people over and being the hostesses themselves!! :) The second Saturday of December is always the annual BKD Christmas party and we had the best time!! We got all dressed up and enjoyed being out on a date together!! It was the best work party by far...EVER!! :) I went to our church's Christmas Tea and then Maddie and Zack and I attended a special ladies Christmas day party at a friends' house! We made and decorated cookies and ornaments and sang Christmas carols and danced around our house and just ENJOYED this season!!!! We had a birthday party for Jesus on Christmas day... our kiddos loved singing to Him!! We read them the story of baby Jesus and now they are in LOVE!! Such special moments!!

We got to enjoy a 24 hour mini vacation with some dear friends the Wednesday and Thursday before Christmas!! :) We left Nixa about 5:00 p.m. and drove to Branson where we ate at our favorite pizza place Mazio's, spent about 2 hours at SDC and then stayed up all night (well until about 4 a.m.) at their in-laws' cabin just talking and laughing together!! Our kiddos get along really well, and we truly enjoy the company of this couple, so it was the perfect vaca!! The next morning we got up, made chocolate chip pancakes and wathced Elf with our kiddos, and then went shopping!! Our vaca ended with a trip to Freddy's (a new hamburger joint in Branson! :)) It. was. PERFECT!!!!

One of our family traditions is to attend the Christmas Eve service at my home church...we look forward to it every year!! This year was no different!!! My Grandparents came this year which made it extra special!! Then, as tradition calls, we went out for chinese food afterwards! That night our kiddos got to open one present... their pajamas before bed! It was awesome!!

Christmas morning we woke up to a light dusting of snow!! I was tickled pink!! God truly does know the desires of our hearts, even when we are 30!! :):) Maddie and Zack were SO EXCITED!! We opened our presents and made special new memories with our 2 and 3 year old!! I can hardly believe they are 2 and 3!!!! Then... we started a NEW tradition in our family!! Our church takes food to people who need meals on Christmas day!! So we headed to Northside to pick up the meal for the family we were to take it to! What an incredible and humbling experience!! :) This story is for another post (coming soon:)) but it was absolutely LIFE CHANGING!!!!! Our kiddos got to SEE... not just HEAR, but SEE how blessed we are!!!!! They asked LOT's of questions, and we answered as honestly and age appropriately as we could! We don't want our kiddos thinking that Christmas is about them!!! We DO want them to know that they are incredibly special to us and that we want to buy them a few gifts and ENJOY the holiday season together, but it isn't about them!! It isn't about Wyatt or I, or our families, or the gifts that we give or receive...it is about JESUS!! And we are SO thankful!!

The Perfect Weekend!

We had the Perfect Christmas weekend!! Our fun-filled weekend actually lasted until yesterday! :) Wyatt and I felt so refreshed after our weekend...it just started our week off perfectly!! It was a wonderful mix of family time and friend time, and Wyatt and I time!! Here is what we did!!

Friday--Maddie, Zack and I hung out with our friends the Grider's all day!! We enjoyed pizza buffet (which is quickly becoming our tradition for Friday's!!:)) together and then headed back to their house to make homemade sugar cookies and decorate them with homemade butter cream icing!!!! YUM-O!!! It was a BLAST, we danced around the kitchen singing Christmas songs and enjoying each other company! M and Z and I didn't want to leave, so we didn't until about 4:00p.m. and it was well worth it!! It was the perfect day!! That night we took Embree family pictures and then had dinner with my parents! What a great night!!!!

Saturday--Sleep IN!! :) WHOO-HOO!! Our kiddos were pooped after our BIG day so they slept in until almost 9! :) Then we headed over to my mom's for her annual CCH Girls' Christmas Breakfast! It was delicious and it is always so good to catch up with some awesome ladies!! That afternoon I did some Christmas shopping by myself and it was wonderful!! Saturday evening Wyatt and I got all gussied up and headed out to Hiland Springs for the BKD Christmas party!! It was the BEST evening we have ever had with the BKD Christmas party! We got to sit with some of our dear friends and we had a BLAST signing with the dueling piano people!!!!

Sunday--CHURCH!! We LOVE our church and are SO blessed by the faces we see when we walk through the door!! The sermon was so good and it was just what I needed to hear! My heart and mind were refreshed and ready for the week!! We ate lunch with some sweet friends and enjoyed good conversations with them!! Then we went home and put the kiddos to bed! And then I once again ventured out to do some Christmas shopping with my momma! I got home in time for our kiddos to wake up and we enjoyed the rest of the evening at home together!!

Monday--Ornament party #2 with dear, sweet friends!!! There is something so special about having a room full of ladies that are so near and dear to you! Many of us have had a challenging year, and it was so good to see and hear how faithful God is and how He hears us even when we don't know that He does!! It was such special time and warmed my heart!!!

Tuesday--M, Z and I attended an all day Christmas party out at a family friends' house! They have a HUGE and beautiful home that is absolutely filled to the brim with LOVE!! There were about 35 ladies there and we just had a blast together laughing and talking!! We had a gift exchange that was crazy FUN!!! It was an AMAZING party and we stayed all day!!!

We are enjoying this time of year so much, especially with our kids getting bigger and understanding more!!! I love that my kiddos are asking questions about Jesus and His mommy and daddy!! Wyatt reads Maddie and Zack a story every night before bed, this week he has been reading them stories out of our Bible and they LOVE it!!! Last night Wyatt read the story of Jesus's birthday!!! My kids have such wonder in their eyes, it is simply amazing to think about the story through their little minds!!

I pray you are being blessed this holiday season also!!!

The Ornament Party!

Last night was my annual ornament party, and it was a BLAST!! I have had this ornament party, on the first Monday of December for the past 6 years, it is a party that I always look forward to!! I started having it in our tiny duplex and now I LOVE having it at our beautiful house!! I start decorating for Christmas with much anticipation, knowing that this party is coming! :):) I love it!

This years party, was probably the best ornament party I have ever had! I didn't do anything to make it specifically awesome though!!! What made it awesome, were all of the beautiful faces that were here! There is something SO incredibly special about being in a room surrounded by my favorite people!!! Really, if I think about it long enough it makes me cry!! I could have told you a special story about each girl in that room, it was amazing!! Lots of life changes have happened all though out that room, BUT, friendships that are grounded in Christ, for His glory... hold FIRM!!! Ahhh, what a blessing!! About 20 ladies attended and it was a mixture of dear "old" friends and precious new friends!!! We ate, laughed, talked and laughed (and ate) some more!! Several girls even stayed late into the night so we could chat more!! It was such a precious time, I am SO thankful for dear friends!!!

Hand-me-downs!

So... I used to be a total hand-me-down SNOT! :) Really, I was a total snot about it!! Why, I am not sure...maybe because my parents depended on hand-me-down for my sister and I! I thought I would never be a mom "like that!" Oooohhhhhh, how things have changed!!! :):):) We could buy all new clothes each season, and we do buy a lot, BUT we are SO BLESSED by CUTE clothes passed down from good friends!!! It is amazing how gently used a lot of the clothes we are given, are!! Maddie wore the most beautiful outfit to church this past Sunday and she got SO many compliments on how cute she looked in it!!! My dear friend Mandy even commented on it...and it was a "hmd" from her daughter! :):) He he!!

I especially dislike buying "play" clothes! You know clothes that your kiddos are just going to paint in and play in the dirt in...clothes that are probably going to get ruined not because my kids are clumsy, just because they are KIDS and I want them to enjoy playing!! I do not like paying for clothes that I know are going to get ruined!! Thankfully, we get a lot of play clothes which is wonderful!!!! I can hardly believe how BLESSED we are by our dear friends sharing their sweet kiddos' clothes with us!!! So THANK YOU to you all who bless us with your sweet kids' last season clothes!! We are SO THANKFUL!!!!

THanksgiving!

We had the BEST Thanksgiving! :) I LOVE hanging out with my family!! My Aunt and Uncle and two cousins were also able to join us for the holiday this year and we had a blast!! It was just a great day of being together with family, celebrating God's goodness and being thankful for the life that God has blessed us with!! Wyatt got to take the whole week off prior to Thanksgiving and we had an AMAZING week together, just our little family!! We enjoyed some time together with some dear friends, but other than that, we just spent some much needed time just the 4 of us!! It was awesome!! :):) On our way home on Thursday night, Wyatt and I had an JOY-filled conversation about all of things we are thankful for!! Really, we are SO blessed!!! It is pretty amazing to sit down and write out all of the blessings (both BIG and small) that God has bestowed on us over this year!!! Since there was quite a long list, I wanted to share just 10 of them!!

** I am SO THANKFUL for my relationship with Christ!!! Without Him, I would absolutely be lost!! Our sweet little family has been stretched and challenged SO much this year, but because of Him, we are stronger than ever!! He soars with me when I am excited and living life to the fullest, and leads me through the valley's of life when it is hard!! He is my beginning and end...and I am SO thankful!!

**I am SO THANKFUL for my husband!! He is simply my perfect match!! HE is amazing, so loving and patient with me!! This has been our BEST year of marriage! I feel like I say that every year, but this really has been an awesome year!! Wyatt knows me and loves me completely, and unconditionally!! He is absolutely my very best friend and knows me better than I know myself!!

** I am SO THANKFUL for my children!! I have a beautiful daughter and an incredibly handsome son!!! They REFINE me and encourage me and bring me SO much JOY!! I am so thankful that they are each a part of my life!! I am SO excited to live life with them every single day!!! I know God has BIG plans in store for each of them, and I am so thankful that I get to be a part of it!!

** I am SO THANKFUL that I get to stay at home with our kiddos! :) What an incredible blessing!! I love waking up with them each morning and facing the day together, just the 3 of us!! :) I love making them breakfast and snuggling in our jammies until noon!!! I love putting them down for naps and getting just a few minutes with them individually, sharing with them how much I love them ,but even more how much Jesus loves them!! Wyatt works SO hard, and I am SO thankful that he would do anything for me to be able to stay at home with our babies!

** I am SO THANKFUL that I come from a legacy that Knows, Loves and Serves God!! WOW!! What an incredible blessing! My mom and dad and Grandparents love God fiercely and show it in ALL that they do! Anyone that comes into contact with each of them knows that there is something different about them...they can see the JOY and HOPE in their eyes and the LOVE that they have for others!!! That kind of love and compassion can only come from knowing God! :) I am SO THANKFUL!!!

**I am SO THANKFUL for our house and our cars that run!! We have a BEAUTIFUL house!! We bought it brand new and have worked really hard to make it our own!! I can tell you where every scrape, hole, dent, etc came from! We are a family that lives in our house!! We feel that God provided our house so we could be hospitable to others, and we hope we are honoring Him in that!! I hope we get to live here for a really long time, we bought our babies home here and we became a family here!! We love it!! We are also thankful for our car's! They aren't fancy to say the least, BUT we can afford them, and they start every morning! :):) They are safe for our kiddos to ride in, and they get us where we need to go!! We are SO THANKFUL for God's provision!!!

**We are VERY thankful for good friends!!! Over this past year, we have really gotten close to a few couples, and each time we hang with them, we are BLESSED by their company!!! They truly "get" us and have the same like-minded-ness which is awesome!!! It is hard to find good couple friends and we are so thankful for these couples and pray that God will continue to BLESS our friendship!!!

**We are SO THANKFUL for our church and they way that God is growing it! God is present there and the minister preaches God's Word each week!! We are SO THANKFUL and look forward to getting more and more involved!!!!

**I am SO THANKFUL for my ladies Bible Study!! It is AWESOME! I am learning SO much and being so challenged each week! I feel like I haven't been to a bible study like this in a loong time, and I LOVE it!!!

**We are SO THANKFUL for Wyatt's new job!! He gets to start on Wednesday and we are so looking forward to the JOY that his new job will bring to our family!! We prayed and prayed and God provided!! We are SO THANKFUL!!

For all of these things and so many more! We are SO very very thankful!!!!!!

Being Crafty!

I love being crafty...I love it SO much! There is just some about making something pretty that does my heart such GOOD!! :) So today is the DAY!!! My day started with a good friend and I making super cute pom pom's for my Maddie's room! They are SO cute and look GREAT above her bed!! Then, as I looked across her room, I decided that I needed something better to hang alllllllll of her bow's on, so I decorated a cute hanger with some ribbon and scrapbooking paper and BOOM, her bows look brand new and are very organized!! (It sounds weird decorating a small hanger with BOTH paper and ribbon, but it works and is totally cute!!:)) Then, after looking at some of her hair bow's I decided I needed to make a few more for her, so I got out the glue gun and started working on her some new holiday bow's! They are done, adorable and hanging on her new cute hair bow hanger! :) Now, I am working on my Christmas cards!! I LOVE to make cards and although it is a LOT of work, I enjoy thinking about all of our dear friends and family that we will send them to!! I LOVE Christmas SO much, and since my husband won't let me decorate for Christmas today (HA!:)), I will just have to make Christmas cards to be sure I get them all done!!!! :) Ahhh, the perfect crafty day!!!! :):)

Our week off

So Wyatt is VERY blessed to get 5 weeks off per year at his current job!! The first year, he didn't take much time at ALL off, so he has been able to roll over several weeks over the past few years! So this year we decided we were going to take it as much of his time off as we could, and we have been SO thankful!!! He took off about 12 days in June/July and we proved to ourselves that we don't have to do or go anywhere BIG to have a good time together!! We really like just being together...just the four of us!!! :) I LOVE this about my little family, we truly love being around each other, doing whatever!!

So imagine my surprise and excitement when Wyatt comes home early last Wednesday to tell me that he has taken off another whole week!!!!!! :):):):) I was SO EXCITED!!! We really didn't have any big plans (except for the weekend) so I knew we were going to have a great time!! So Thursday morning our vacation started and in ended just two days ago!!!! It was such a HUGE BLESSING and I am so thankful for Wyatt's job, and that although it can be absolutely INSANE sometimes, he gets to have lots of time off with us!!!

Here are some highlights of our week!!!!

**Maddie and I got to attend a birthday party...just the two of us!!!

**Wyatt shampooed our carpets and they look SO much better!!!!

**Incredible talk time each afternoon (during nap time) with my amazing husband!!

**Daddy/daughter date night, mommy/son date night!! It was PERFECT!!

**Adventures to a new park...we went driving with Wyatt's GPS and found a fun new park to play at!! The kiddos loved it, and so did we!!

**Orange Leaf!! :)

**Wyatt organized my beautiful pantry...awesome!! :)

**Re-organizing my kiddos' closet's for fall and winter! :)

**Hoping and dreaming with Wyatt!!

**3 meals made by my husband!! He is quite the chef!!!

**A day filled with some of our dearest friends-Greg and Heather Harris and Joseph and Megan Herren...and the 5 kiddos between us!!

**Our first fall party!!

**Looking at open houses with my mom, just for fun!!!

**Lot's of fun filled family time with my 4 J's!!!!!

Really my list could go on and on, we truly had the best time!! :) We love time off together and are looking forward to another week of vacation at Thanksgiving and then 2 weeks at Christmas!! WHOO-HOO!!!!

A Scolding!

So one of my friends turned 35 today, and to celebrate her husband treated several of us to lunch at Lola's here in Nixa last Saturday!! We were so excited to start celebrating early, and it is always fun to have lunch with a group of girls on a Saturday afternoon! :):) There were 5 of us girls and we had a BLAST!!! I was the youngest of the group and the oldest "girl" was 76! :) She was a dear friend of the birthday girl and we loved having her with us!! I hope that when I am 76 I am as joy-filled and happy as she is! :) Anyway, we were all so excited to have some girl time, we were chatting and laughing and really having a great time!! We didn't think we were being too loud or overly annoying, the restaurant was full of families and groups of friends!! It was a beautiful day and everyone was out enjoying it!! Well, I suppose we were enjoying ourselves too much!!! :) About halfway into our lunch, an older lady walked over to our table (several of us thought she was coming to talk with our 76 year old friend) and said in a very stern voice "Girls, you need to keep it down, you are all being too rowdy and loud!" WHAT?!?! We all just looked at each other in astonishment as she returned to her seat!! Did she really just scold a group of 30 year old women (plus one 76 year old???) We were in shock! My dear friend Amy (the birthday girl) was totally un-nerved! She called our waitress over to our table and asked her to add that lady's tab to our bill!! She said she wanted to spread some JOY to her life! :) I was so impressed with how my friend handled the situation, I was totally still shocked, and a little ticked off, BUT, Amy was calm, cool and collected! She wanted to shower her with JOY!! Needless to say, after she found out we had paid her bill, the lady came back over to our table and apologized for being too stern and thanked the table for paying for her meal!! That led us into an awesome conversation about how people really do need to SEE and FEEL people's JOY! Joy is indeed contagious and when you have true JOY, it shows!! It was an awesome lesson, totally unexpected, but great!! :) THANKS Amy, for a spunky fun lunch!! :)

12 1/2 Months

If you would have told me when I first got married I would have had 2 kids by the time Wyatt and I had been married for just 5 years, I might have laughed at you!! Not because I didn't want kiddos or because I was trying to be mean, Wyatt and I just had a "plan" for our life together!! He was getting ready to start at one of the top 10 accounting firms in the world and I was happy being a nanny full time!! We lived in a small (but lovely) duplex and were anxiously awaiting buying our first house! Kiddos were on the radar for year 5... or after!! :) Ha ha! God's certainly had other things in mind for the Jenkins family!! Of course many of you know our kiddos are only 12 1/2 months a part! When our precious little Maddie was just 3 months old, I found out I was pregnant again!! "Holy Moly" was all I could say for days, and I only told my closest friends that I was pregnant for about a month!!!

Today, I absolutely cannot imagine life being ANY different!! The first year was very difficult, but it wasn't just hard having two kiddos close in age, it was God working on my heart!! I had become SO complacent with my relationship with Him, He was using everything He could to draw my eyes back to Him! He taught me so much about my heart and how it was covered in yuck! He knocked me to my knee's and gently lifted my eyes to Him! There were some pretty intense days of me sobbing at His feet, wondering how I was going to get through another day as my husband worked 12-14 hours and I had two babies to care for!!! Oh, how I remember those days, and I am so thankful for how God pulled me through them kicking and screaming! :) Of course I still have days where I feel overwhelmed, but not nearly like those early days!! I praise God for His faithfulness and steadfastness!! :) THANK YOU Father for taking care of us and for never giving up on my heart!!!

I love my little M and Z! They are SO much fun! I absolutely LOVE the ages that they are at right now! We have so much fun together every single day...we can be hanging out at home having fun, playing at the park together having fun, eating out together having fun, enjoying a play date together having fun...you name it, we do it with joy-filled and happy hearts!! We are so bonded together, it is a wonderful blessing!! Wyatt took Friday off from work this past weekend so we had a 4 day weekend together and it was amazing!! We had the perfect mix of family time and friend time...AWESOME!! One evening Wyatt and I were sitting out on our deck and he asked me why I thought our little family was so close! I told him I think it is because he allows me to stay at home with our two kids!! Our life (finances) would look MUCH different if I worked, but we are willing to sacrifice for me to stay at home with them! I think that it is the key to the closeness of our family!! Maddie and Zack are truly the best of friends, they keep a close watch on each other and they love to laugh together!! They play together at home and when we are out a other peoples' homes! I think that is so special!! I wondered how they would feel about each other, being opposite sexes, but they couldn't be any closer!! It is Wyatt and my hope and prayer that they always stay close and involved in each others' lives!! This past weekend we were at the park with some friends and one of the husbands came over to me and said, "Do your kids always play this well together?" I said, "Yep, they really enjoy each others' company!" He said, "They are two of the most obedient and happy 2 and 3 year old I have ever seen!" My heart swelled with JOY (ok, ok and pride:):)) I am SO proud of them!! :):) God has a hold of their hearts and it is evident in the way they treat each other and their friends!!

*****Now, please do NOT get me wrong, they aren't perfect, we certainly have our days of dis-obedience and grumpi-ness, but they, like me are a work in progress! But I am thankful that God is continually working in their hearts and minds!!!******

I am so thankful for God's perfect timing in all areas of our lives!! He is SO good to us and we are continually humbled by the way He lavishes His love on us!!

5 Pictures

Today is our first day back to "reality!" :) Wyatt went back to work today after 11 days off of work!! We had an AMAZING vacation together, just the 4 of us!! We spent some REALLY fun time together, ate at some yummy places that we don't normally dine at, and we got a lot of stuff done around our house!! I plan to post about our vacation here in the next few days, but today's post is about 5 very special pictures!!

We re-painted our room last fall, and I must tell you that I LOVE it!! We found a gorgeous bedding set on clearance at Sam's and BAM we have a new bedroom! Over the past few months I have found decor for the walls, and as we hang each of them up, I love our bedroom more and more!! Our bedroom is a NO KID zone! Of course that doesn't mean our kiddos aren't allowed in our room, it just means there are no toys, kids clothes, baby books etc allowed in our room!! (of course if something is brought in, we enjoy it for the moment and then it goes right back out!! :)) We really just want our room to be a haven for the two of us! Our house is very kid friendly, but our room isn't! :) Anyway, we had one small wall that didn't have anything on it and I was ready to fill it up! :) I have been thinking about what I wanted on this wall for quite some time, but nothing I found for it looked quite right! So, I found 5 different sizes, different shaped frames and spray painted them all the same color (kind of a bronzed goldish brown) and put 5 of my most favorite pictures of my husband and I in them!! :) Every time I look at them, I smile!!! :):) The pictures are hung over my jewelry armoire, so I get to look at them several times a day and I just LOVE the way they make me feel! :) Picture #1 is the very first picture Wyatt and I ever took together!! We weren't dating, but we both have a gleam in our eyes, knowing, HOPING, that there was something special to come for us! :) Picture #2 is of us one winter in Colorado! We went with my parents and a few of our friends! We are standing on this beautiful bridge with snow all around us! I remember the feelings I had as we took this picture! We had only been dating for a few months, yet I knew my life would never be the same! :) Picture #3 is one of our engagement pictures!!! We look SO young, but so excited about becoming husband and wife! :) Picture #4 was on Christmas day last year! We were goofing around, just in love with life and my sister snapped this awesome picture of the two of us! :) Finally picture #5 is of us this February around Valentine's day! Wyatt always plans the best Valentine's day surprises and this one was just as special! We are beaming, knowing that we are about to spend a really fun evening out together!!

I LOVE my husband so much! I love living life with him! I LOVE having vacation with him, watching him be the daddy to our children and snuggling with him in our room each night! I LOVE these 5 pictures of us (and so many more, but my wall might be a little too small for all of them! :))

6 Years

This Saturday will be Wyatt and I's 6 year anniversary! I can hardly believe it!! :) These past 6 years of marriage have been SO full of joy and excitement and adventure! They have also been about learning and being stretched and growing in ways I never thought possible!! We have had heartache at times, and so much JOY at other times, learning how to live life together while combining both of our families! We are SO different, yet SO much alike, it is awesome to see how God intertwined our lives from the very beginning!! I am more in love with Wyatt Ben Jenkins today, than I have ever been before!! :)

To celebrate we are spending the entire weekend together, no kiddos, no friends, JUST US!!! I could not be more excited!! Wyatt is my best friend, he understands me better than anyone in the world, he just "gets" me!!! He makes me laugh, gives me butterflies and makes me want to be a better woman every single day!! He challenges me and sharpens me, and loves me despite me! :) I am so excited to just hang out with him and talk and laugh and remember the years we have spent together!!! We are going to see a late movie on Friday night, sleep in on Saturday and spend the day just enjoying each other! I think Sunday is a surprise from him, so I am not sure what we will do, but I know it will be a blessing!! Whoo-hoo!

Since we are spending the weekend together, just us, it means that I will be away from my kiddos for TWO nights in a row!!! I have never been away from M and Z for two nights in a row!! In fact, the last time I was away from them for one night was last June 26th! I know that lots of people think that is odd, but we are a very tight knit little family! We really like to be together!! Wyatt and I make every evening count and spend lots of time together when the kiddos are in bed! It is a priority to us that we get good time together to catch up with each others' days! I love that he wants to share about his day with me and I love telling him about our days! At least two nights a week, we turn off the tv and just talk out on our deck! It is wonderful!!! And we are good at planning dates for each other, so we go out at least once a month together!! For this season in our life, it is perfect!!!

We don't really get each other gifts for our anniversary, but our tradition is to write each other letters!! ( I LOVE to get cards and letters from my husband!!:)) I love to make cards, so I have his card all made with my letter inside!! It was so much fun to write to him my feelings of thankfulness and love!! I loved remembering back to the dates we went on and the things we talked about! Of course our lives are much different now, but I am so JOY-filled that we have made those decisions together and that we are living life the way that God wants us too! :):)

I remember all so well the days and minutes before our wedding, just like they were yesterday!! We were SO excited about all of our friends attending our special day! We wanted everything to be absolutely perfect!!! We took our time planning our special day and it was exactly what we wanted!! Wyatt took me out for lunch on our rehearsal day and we shared our last meal as individuals! We were soon to be husband and wife, and we were SO excited! I will never forget the way he looked at me, or how excited he was to show me my beautiful ring all put together! I will never forget the way he looked at me at the end of the long aisle, and I will never forget how beautiful and special I felt! I was in awe that God had provided for me such an amazing Godly man to share my life with!!

Ooohhh, I could go on and on, but I won't!! :):) I am a woman in love with her husband! It is wonderful to be so in love after 6 years of marriage and 2 years of dating! :) Now, what am I going to wear?!? :):)

Happy Anniversary Wyatt! I love you so very much!!!!!

Swimming???

Hilarious, I am still laughing, of course after the fact! Today we took Griffin to his swimming lesson and we decided to swim in the kiddie pool in their nice big neighborhood swimming area! (Seriously, for a neighborhood pool, it is VERY nice!!!:)) So after making sure G was where he needed to be, I got Maddie and Zack all dressed in their cute swimming suits and swimming diapers, we were all ready, and excited, for the pool!! :) Well, my little Maddie is a fish! She jumped right in, and never looked back!! Even though the water was about 3 feet deep, she LOVED it and enjoyed the other little kiddos that were swimming there with us!! My little Z, on the other hand, was NOT so impressed!!!! He started off by sitting on the edge, splashing his sister and playing with some of the water toys, we had brought! Then, he slowly inched his way in, where the water was up to his ankles!! Then, slowly he waded out where the water touched his knees! As he was inching in closer to the middle of the pool, he somehow tripped and fell face first into the water!!! Being the somewhat overprotective momma that I can sometimes be, I JUMPED into the water FULLY clothed to rescue my son!!! :):) (Can you even imagine what a sight that was???? :)) As I reached him fully prepared to do CPR on him, (wink) he stood up and continued to play, TOTALLY unaware that I had jumped in to save him!! :):) LORD, HAVE MERCY! As I got out of the KIDDIE pool and noticed other momma's looking at me, I started to feel a bit embarrassed!! So, I finished up our swim sessions sitting by the kiddie pool watching my kiddos, keeping an eye on G and trying to dry out!! :):) Oh well, better be embarassed than have my little man drown! :):)

SUMMERTIME!

We are a family who LOVES the seasons! We love the cooler temperatures in the fall, the pumpkin patch, warm cute sweaters and all things fall!! We love the winter, the snow, the cold-ness (cold-ness=hot cocoa) and being inside playing with all of our new toys! We love the spring... the flowers blooming, and rain and thunder (my kiddos know that thunder is just God clapping His Hands and they LOVE it!), we love digging in the dirt for our own little flower garden! And we LOVE the summer... my kids are fishes so we really enjoy the pool, hanging out at the park, having bar-b-ques and staying up late because we are enjoying each other and our time together so much!!!! This summer will be no different!! We are looking forward to the long Memorial weekend this coming weekend, with several parties and some good family time together! We are SO EXCITED for the pool to open... Maddie and I check it out every time we drive or walk by it!!! I am pretty sure we will be the first people in it!! :) We also have lots of bbq's planned with good friends and our loving family in the next few weeks and months!! We have birthday parties to look forward to, an anniversary trip to plan and the making of many special memories! We are also looking forward to Wyatt having 16 days off in June and July!! Yep, it is going to be a GREAT summer!! WHOO-HOO!!!!

YES or NO!!!

"All you need to say is simply "Yes" or "No;" anything beyond this comes from the evil one." Matthew 5:37.

This verse comes back to me over and over on a weekly basis!! Let your yeses be YES and let your NOs, be NO!! It is so simple, yet we (I) make it so hard sometimes!!! I know this is Gods gentle way of reminding me that I need to be held accountable for the decisions I make for our family every single day! I want people to know that when I say YES to something, that I am going to be there wholeheartedly and with a happy heart!! I NEVER want to get in the habit of telling people what they want to hear (which is many times, "YES!") when I really mean "NO!" If I mean no, then I need to say NO! (or in our household, we say "no thank you!!" :)) We are trying to be more diligent as a family to be involved with just the right amount of activities, play dates, outings, etc! We do NOT be over committed, knowing that we need time together as a family, but needing good fellowship also! It is SO hard to tell people no, but it can be a blessing in disguise also! We want the activities that we do together to count and be intentional!! Therefore I need to think before I speak, especially, when it means potentially hurting someone or having to cancel on them because I wasn't being responsible!! One of my dearest friends always used to tell me "Do not get so caught up in the good things, that you miss out on the BEST things!!" This is such GOOD advice! Lord, give me wisdom and direction, help me to seek You in ALL things, even when they seem small!

So, my reminder for today... if I say YES to something, I am going to do it, even if I decide I don't want to, or if I am not "excited" about it anymore!! God can use ANY situation to grow and stretch us, especially if we have committed to it!! If I decide NOT to do something I need to stick with that decision too, because you never know where God might take you, or use you for His glory!!!

Previous Entry's

I keep a journal for both of my kiddos and I LOVE it! I think it is almost as much for me, as it is for them! :) I try to write in it at least once a week, sometimes I write every day, sometimes, I write three times a month! But, it has been awesome to write down the things that they do or say on a daily/weekly/monthly basis! It is fun to look back and remember all of those little things that they did! I can't WAIT to give these journals to each child when they get married!! I have been looking back at my previous entry's and it is SO much fun to see how my kids have grown and changed!! They are such good, sweet, SMART kids! I am amazed at them constantly and I love them so much! :) Of course every parents loves their child, but I am in awe of how my love grows for them every single day! :) They are such great little people!! :)

It is also good to know that you DO forget about the hard days and press on towards the wonderful days!!! The last entry I read was from the beginning of September 2009! Maddie was just 14 months old and Zack was 1 1/2 months old! It was the first time I had taken them both to the grocery store by myself!! In the duration of our 30 minutes there, Maddie had managed to open BOTH a box of cereal and a box of pasta and dumped them both on the floor! Of course I couldn't find different people to clean up both messes so I had a grumpy sales-person AND a hungry screaming baby on my hands!! I remember SO well getting in the car feeling SO defeated, wondering if my life would ever be "normal" again! :) My daughter was sad because she knew I was upset with her, and my son was screaming with hunger!! AUGH!! What was I to d?? So, I cried! :):) A lot!

Now, I laugh at the memory!! I am SURE I looked like I had NO clue what was going on!! And how on EARTH had I let my 14 month old open TWO boxes and dump them out...where was I?? Oh yeah,I was the mom trying frantically to get a few groceries so I could cook a meal for my family!! :) I can be so hard on myself sometimes! I am not perfect...I don't say the perfect things or always act the perfect way! BUT I am work in progress, for God, for myself, for my husband and for my kids!!! I am SO THANKFUL for where God has led us to this point!! Life ISN'T always easy! Actually it will never be easy if we are doing what God has called us to do! BUT...it. is. SO! GOOD!!! :) I am SO grateful for God's timing being so much better than my own! I am so thankful for the way He teaches me and stretches me to grow in Him every single day!!!! THANKS God for your perfect plan for us!!!!

A cute story!

Yesterday we were driving in the car on the way to church and we were talking about sisters! My mom's sister came into town kind of unexpectedly yesterday, so we were talking about Aunt Julie being Ga-Ga's sister, and how Tre Tre was mommy's sister. Then we went on to talk about how Maddie is Zack's sister! It was so cute how she was stringing everyone together! She knew that Mze didn't have any sisters (but she did point out that he has 2 brothers, she is SO smart! :)) And we talked about daddy having several sisters!! Anyway, as we are talking through all of this, she suddenly stops, looks straight at me and says, "Mommy, I want a sister!!!!!" Wyatt and I looked at each other and burst out laughing!! It was just SO cute, she was very insistent upon it!!! :) I don't know what God has in store for us, but if a sister would happen to be born into our family, I think our little Maddie would be so happy!!! :):)

Love Languages_Edited

I just realized that some of this blog got erased, not sure how it happened!! Anyway, here is the original version!

Last week at MOPs our mentor talked to us about the 5 Love Languages! This book has been around forever and Wyatt and I have been through it several times, it is an awesome book!! So as she was introducing the topic, I was thinking, "I already know this, I want to learn something new!" However, I was excited to hear what she had to say! I really love our mentor's at MOPs this year! They are really knowledgeable and loving, wise and discerning and kind! She talked to us about the importance of meeting your spouses needs! It is always good to be reminded that his needs are not necessarily MY needs, but he needs them met anyway! What is interesting is that Wyatt and I do have the same top 2 love languages, but we SHOW them in different ways!! It was so good to be reminded of ways to continually meet Wyatt's love languages, and to think of some fun, new ways to show him how much I love him!

What was even more interesting was our mentor mentioning that we will be able to tell what our childrens' love languages are going to be by the time they are around 8 years!! As I was thinking through the 5 languages I pictured my children in each of those capacities! At this point in their lives, they NEED all 5 languages SHOWN to them!! But I can already kind of tell what language they are speaking to Wyatt and I and to each other!! Of course it will be fun to watch them grow and change, I want them to be stretched and grown the way God wants to teach them! It is just such a blessing to watch them become little people!

My Maddie LOVES her quality time and special gifts! She is also a acts of service kind of girl! She lights up whenever she gets to spend just a few minutes with anyone, just them and her!! She and I went out on a shopping date over the weekend and she just GLOWED the entire time! she was so happy to just be WITH me, it didn't matter at ALL what we were doing, it just mattered that it was her and I! My little girl loves her mommy and her daddy so much!! She also loves little gifts, even if I just color a picture for her or get her inexpensive stickers!! She loves to be given something, and then she loves to give in return! I am so proud of her for the way she helps take are of her "broder!" She is such a sweet girl and I am so thankful for her little life!!

My little Z is also a quality time kind of guy but also a words of affirmation! He loves to hear my love for him!! He really isn't the touchy feely kind of guy, BUT when I am snuggling him telling him what a good boy he is and how much I love him, he eats it up!! He needs to hear that although he needs to be disciplined sometimes, he IS an AMAZING little boy and that I love him SO MUCH!! He likes to spend time with us one on one and smiles so big whenever he is being BIG with daddy!! He sure is a daddy's boy, but he loves his mommy too!! :)

I was so blessed by this lesson!! I love living life with my husband and our children!!!

Today we went to an Easter Egg hunt with several of our good friends!! What a FUN time we had together!! :) We have been hanging out with this crew of people since college and we are SO blessed by the friendship that both Wyatt and I share with them!! What is even more fun, is that we all have children around the same ages so we like to get together and all play! Today was no exception! As I looked around the circle if little smiles, it was amazing to see how God has blessed each one of these little families! Some have one child, others have two or three children, and it is incredible to see how God is working in each of the hearts of each child! It is also awesome to see our kids forming such tight friendships with each other!! Maddie and Zack both ask for these kids on a regular basis, asking me how they are and if we are going to see them anytime soon! :) I am SO THANKFUL for these families and for the history we have with them! There are a lot of people that come in and out of our lives, but I know that no matter what, we will always be friends with these people, and for that, I am SO thankful!!

I truly feel that God uses our children (among SO many other things) to teach us about unconditional love, blessing and contentment! I am SO CONTENT with my Maddie and my Zack! I look into their little eyes and I see Wyatt and I and it is the most incredible feeling! I don't know if God has us to have more children, if He does, I am totally ok with that! But, if it is His will for us just to have our two, I am to content with that too!! My Maddie and Zack are such little blessings to me, they are refining me and teaching and stretching me in so many ways! I love them SO much I want to be the BEST I can be for them and our family!! My prayer is that God will give us the wisdom that we need to raise them as Godly toddlers, teenagers and adults! Thanks God for the blessing of our little ones!!!

SO PRECIOUS!!!!

Tonight I was making dinner for the family and it got really quiet! I finished up our baked ziti, (Wyatt's favorite) put it in the oven and went to investigate, worrying about what I might find!!! I peeked into Zack's room, then the play room, and then I heard it!! Maddie and Zack were sitting in her room, both in her chair (it is a pink over stuffed chair, really only comfortable for one child) and she was reading books to him!! Ok, so she wasn't reading the actual words, but she knew they book so well, she was telling him about the pictures and actions! :):) It was ABSOLUTELY the most precious thing I have ever seen!!! When I walked in, she said "Hi mommy, Broder and I are reading books!" It was so cute! She is such a good sister and he is such a precious little brother!! :)

It has been so hard at times having them so close in age, but after seeing them this week, I think they are going to be the BEST of friends!! At McDonald's on Thursday, they had several friends there to play with, and they did play with their friends, BUT they played together first and always kept an eye on the other! Then at the park on Wednesday, they held hands and Maddie helped Zack down the slide and "caught" him each time!!! I am so thankful for my son and daughter and for the J-O-Y they bring to my life! I am so thankful that God's grace covers us! :) I am such a proud mommy of two!!! :):)

"Um, excuse me...!"

My kiddos and I went to McDonalds yesterday with some friends to play at the play place and have some delicious lunch! Well after my two kids and the other 3 kiddos "ate" they wanted to play! Well my kiddos hadn't eaten very much because they wanted to play with their friends, so I left out their plates of food so that when they realized they were hungry, they could finish their lunches!! So I am chatting with my friends and this older woman walks up to me and says, "Um, excuse me, I just wanted you to know that your son is eating off the floor!!" I jumped up and looked over, and SURE ENOUGH my little Zack was eating some nuggets (that he had been carrying around) that had dropped onto the floor!! At this moment I had a decision to make! A. I could either raise my voice to him and try to dig out the half eaten nuggets in his mouth, OR B. I could let him finish the bite he had in his mouth and then tell him that lunch was O-V-E-R!!! So, knowing how my sweet little boy gets embarrassed at times, I let him finish his bite and then I told him lunch was over!! He swallowed BIG and said "YUMMY Mommy!!" It was pretty cute! The girls I was with cracked up and we went about our business!! I mean, the nuggets that dropped on the floor for 3 seconds couldn't possibly be worse than goat food...right?! :):):)

My Son-the talker!

Zack is now 19 months old and I am ENJOYING him so much!! He is SO full of life and joy!! I love the way he smiles and how his nose crinkles up when he is happy! I love the sound of his laugh and the way he loves for me to "get" him!!! He is ALL boy! he has bruises on his knees and his jeans are already stained and ripping! :) He LOVES to eat his 'anna's and drink his "ilk, pease!" (Bannas and milk are his favorites right now!! :)) What I am loving these days is his little voice!!! He is saying SO many words!! My favorites are "snuggle," "book," "snack," "sissser," "pease," "yuve you," oh and so many more!! He is just so sweet!! Today we hung out with some friends at the park and Zack just LOVED on the little boy!! Well I guess he isn't little, he was 12, but he just played with Zack and Zack just ATE IT UP!!! He laughed and laughed as T pushed him in his swing and chased after him at the park!! It brought me so much joy just to see him interacting so sweetly with other kids!! :) I am just so proud of my son and so thankful that God saw it fit to bless Wyatt and I with a son!!!

My Favorite Song

This is absolutely my favorite song right now!!! I LOVE IT and I listen to it over and over! It brings me so much encouragement and JOY to know that God is ALIVE and that He is ALWAYS faithful!!! Even though life can be HARD, no matter what season you are in life, God is HERE and HE knows my heart and my mind!! I am SO thankful that He LOVES me, just for who I am!

Let The Waters Rise- by Mikeschair

Don't know where to begin
Its like my world's caving in
And I try but I can't control my fear
Where do I go from here?

sometimes its so hard to pray
When You feel so far away
But I am willing to go
Where you want me to
God, I trust You

There's a raging sea
Right in front of me
Wants to pull me in
Bring me to my knees
So let the waters rise
If You want them to
I will follow You
I will follow You
I will follow You

I will swim in the deep
'Cuz You'll be next to me
You're in the eye of the storm
And the calm of the sea
You'll never out of reach

God, You know where I've been
You were there with me then
You were faithful before
You'll be faithful again
I'm holding Your hand

There's a raging sea
Right in front of me
Wants to pull me in
Bring me to my knees
So let the waters rise
If You want them to
I will follow You
I will follow You
I will follow You

God Your love is enough
You will pull me through
I'm holding onto You
God Your love is enough
I will follow You
I will follow You

Ohhh

There's a raging sea
Right in front of me
Wants to pull me in
Bring me to my knees
So let the waters rise
If You want them to
I will follow You
I will follow You
I will follow You

Ohhh

Father, I will FOLLOW YOU!! No matter what!!!

A Day at the Zoo

We went to the zoo with my sister and nephew and another friend who has twin boys last week! We had a BLAST!!! We love hanging out with Tre Tre and Maddux so anytime we get to hang out with them is a treat! And, it was a beautiful day!! When we got to the zoo Maddie and Zack took off running and didn't stop until their little legs were absolutely worn out! It was so cute!! Maddie wanted to keep up with the boys (who are about 6 months older than she) and brother wanted to keep up with sister so it was this continual train of kids!! It was so much fun!! At the goat/donkey display they have food you can buy to feed the animals!! Well Zack was picking it off the ground and feeding it to the animals so I thought it would be fun to get some food to give to him to feed the goats! I turned away from him for about a second to check on Maddie (she was MUCH less sure of feeding the animals) and as I turned back around Zack started chomping on something! Oh yes, he was EATING the goat food!!! EWWWW!!! What was so cute, was that he didn't think it tasted bad at all! I have him his sippy cup and he washed it all down with some apple juice!!! Hilarious!! I am so thankful for my sweet little BOY!! He is ALL boy!! He wants to get into everything, get dirty and experience absolutely everything he can!! I love having a boy!!

Special Relationships!

We are so thankful for the special relationships our kiddos have with their Ga-Ga and Mze! I am constantly reminded how blessed we are that our kids know, LOVE and adore their Grandparents!! My mom and dad know our kids SO well, they love them and take such good care of them!! Anytime we go anywhere with my parents, Maddie is walking with my mom holding her hand, and my dad has Zack in his arms, telling him about some CRAZY adventure they are going to share! :) It warms my heart SO much to know that my parents, the people who poured themselves into me, will do the same with my children!! They are teaching M and Z about God and His love for us! We pray together at every meal, and now Maddie says prayers for our meals, always thanking God for her Ga-Ga and Mze!! They are teaching them about sharing and adventures and so many exciting fun things, that only grandparents can say to their grand kids!! Whew, what a blessing!! :) I sure do LOVE my parents!!!!

I am also thankful for the relationship that my sister and brother-in-law have with our kids!! Tre-Tre and Unk are SO important to Zack and Maddie!! Maddie constantly tell me that Ga-Ga and Tre-Tre and I are her best friends!! Ahh, melt my heart!! :) I love that I get to know and be close to my nephew!! He is so precious, I don't know what I would do if I couldn't see him on an every other day basis! He is growing and shaping my sister and BIL into even more amazing people, and it is SO fun to watch!! Today, and everyday I am reminded that my family is a true BLESSING!! God is SO good!!

My Birthday Weekend!

Two weeks before my birthday I received the sweetest e-vite from my two BFF's Sarah and Katie! They were inviting me away for a surprise birthday weekend! The e-vite instructed on what to bring/wear on our weekend, but it gave no specific direction as to where we were going!! Of course I replied "yes" and our weekend was set! For 10 days I waited for my birthday to get here, I knew it would be amazing, but I didn't know exactly HOW amazing!!

On Friday, Catrina and Maddux came and picked up Zack, Maddie and I and we went into town for lunch! First we stopped by CCH to take a look at the new paint and couches and then we were off to lunch with my mom!! My family is the BEST at celebrating birthdays!! We enjoy each other so much, we love to celebrate together!! Catrina and my mom were so thoughtful an d bought us lunch at one of my favorite restaurant's--Maria's!It was SO much fun! After lunch at Maria's we stopped for yogurt...YUM-O!!! Wyatt came home that evening after being out of town all week! He took me out to dinner and we had a nice evening just being adults! I love my husband so much, he had been gone all week and it was wonderful to have him home!

The next morning my BFF Sarah picked me up at 6:30 a.m. and we headed out on our girls' weekend!! We had some amazing chats on the 3 1/2 drive to get Katie! Sarah is one of the most genuine, honest, caring, loving and unconditional women I know!! She is simply amazing! We laughed our heads off, cried maybe a tear or too, and anxiously awaited picking up our Katie!! When we pulled in we ran up to her door whooping and hollering, we all hugged and squealed with excitement...it was the perfect start to our weekend!! After Sarah and I loved on our little Max and Sophie, we were OFF!! We went to a really fancy shopping mall, to walk around and dream...and to people watch! It was so much fun! After our first round of "shopping," we went to a delicious upscale pizza restaurant!! Then we headed to the Galleria!! :) It was a BLAST!! We shopped and shopped and shopped!! One of our favorite things to do is stick Sarah in the dressing room and bring her clothes to try on!! She is a teacher so she really needs nice new clothes and we are happy to help!! Well on this particular day she needed shoes, so we went everywhere looking for the perfect pairs of shoes! We found them and celebrated with ice cream!

After several hours at the mall, we headed to our hotel!! Wyatt had taken care of the hotel for us with reservations and valet parking! It was a beautiful hotel, we had a view of the arch from our window!! After checking in we went to our room (on the 21st floor) and laid on our beds and chatted for about 2 hours!! Now, I imagine that with anyone else after awhile we would run out of things to talk about, but we didn't!! Thus one of the best parts about having dear friends!! We are so close, that we can (and do) talk for hours about everything, never getting tired of one another's presence!

Around 6:45 we started getting ready for our dinner reservation! We were all so excited about getting dressed up and going out!! Our restaurant was just 5 blocks from our hotel so we walked...it was so much fun to just be us!! Not mommies, not teachers, not even wives at the moment, just the three of us...the best of friends!!!! Dinner was amazing, it was quite the experience! Our waiter was fun, he really enjoyed having three hotties at his table! Probably the funniest part of our evening was when he asked us what we were celebrating! We told him it was my 30th birthday and he went on to tell us how TERRIBLE his 30's were!! WOW! Not expecting that at all, but we laughed none the less and enjoyed the rest of our diner, including the complimentary chocolate cake...ummm, YUM-O!!!!!!!!!!!! After dinner we were walking back to our hotel when we saw a horse drawn carriage! Sarah said, "let's go for a ride" and Katie and I said "ok," so off we went!! We must have looked ridiculous all three of us in the same bench, but it was so much fun!! We were riding through downtown St. Louis just the three of us laughing our heads off! It. was. AWESOME!! When we got home we put on our pajamas and chatted late into the night!! The perfect way to end the perfect day!!

On Sunday morning we woke up to the beautiful view of the arch, chatted some more and then decided we were hungry!! Thanks to Prudence, Katie's handy dandy GPS system, we found a St. Louis bread close tour hotel (after going the wrong way on a downtown street) and settled in for breakfast!! The rest of the day was spent at Target (with Sarah in the dressing room and us bringing her all kinds of cute clothes), eating lunch and being best friends! Sadly around 3 we took Katie home and started our trip back to Springfield! Our weekend was over!! But it was the BEST birthday weekend I have ever had! Sarah and I talked all the way home, laughing and crying some more!! It is amazing how God has changed our lives since we have known each other! It is so good see His glory shine through what He has done!!! I came home totally refreshed, encouraged and energized!!!

THANKS to Wyatt and Nick for keeping our kiddos!!! And THANK YOU to Katie and Sarah for being such incredible friends!! I am SO BLESSED to have you in my life! I love that we know each other so well and have such an awesome friendship!! I love you girls!!!

The Proverbs

I have been reading through the book of Proverbs a lot lately...it has become one of my favorites books in the Bible! In the verses all throughout the book of Proverbs, I find much encouragement and also instruction on how to live, and on how NOT to live!! The Proverbs talk a LOT about the foolish, and about the wise, and I am striving each day to be wise! I am really working on being a better wife to Wyatt this busy season, I love him so much and he needs to know that EVERY day!! As many of you know, Wyatt is an accountant so our life right now is CRAZY! Many times in the past I have met him at the door with disdain and dis-respect..not at all because I am mad at him, just because I have had a rough day and no one to talk to except two small children! So I am really trying to change that this year and all of the years to come! Wyatt works hard to provide for our family, and for that I am SO thankful! He doesn't have a "normal" job, but as long as he enjoys it, we will stick with it! As I was reading my daily reading, I came across this verse! It hit me SO hard, kind of out of nowhere! It is one of those verses that just STICKS in my mind and I am constantly held accountable for my actions with and against my husband! This verse is found in Proverbs 12:4, and it says:

"A wife of noble character is her husbands crown, but a disgraceful wife is like DECAY in his bones!" Proverbs 12:4

WOW!! DECAY in my husbands bones, no thank you!! I think that sounds terribly gross and quite uncomfortable! But... it really has made an impact on my heart!! Those 19 words have changed my heart! THANKS God for reminding me of who You are and who You are molding and making me to be!! So this week, along with the last few weeks and I hope, the remaining weeks/months/years of my life, I am going to focus on making my husband proud of me and for simply being a woman of noble character, instead of decay in Wyatt's bones! (YUCK! :))

TOP 10!

Hello friends!! Happy February! I love the month of February! It is far enough past Christmas, that it is no longer depressing that everyone has taken down their Christmas lights and tree's! It is fun when it snows, the occasional day "off" of whatever because of the snow is awesome!! :) Another reason that February is my favorite month...Valentine's Day is this month so I am pretty much guaranteed a date with my husband!!! Lastly, I LOVE February because it is my birthday month! :) My parents were really thoughtful with our birthday's when we were growing up, so birthdays are very special to me! My mom always made us a special cake, and we always had a plethora of friends over to help celebrate!! This birthday is particularly special because I am going to be 30!! Yes friends, this is the last week of my twenties! And you know what, I am totally ok with that!! With age comes wisdom and many new blessings! I am excited to see what God has in store for me (and my family) this year and the year after that, and the year after that...! :) I really believe that you should live life in the present! I think God calls us to be content with exactly where we are right now, but it is exciting to think about what He has for us in the future! It is also good to look back and see what He has done in my life for the past 10 years, He worked and worked and worked in my heart and I am so thankful!! They have been FULL of life lessons, amazing experiences, and a lot of JOY!! So...I think I will share with you my top 1o List of Lessons I Learned in my 20's! :) (Be assured friends that I am STILL learning and growing in many of these area's!!! :))

10. Life is FUN when you have a heart full of JOY!!! Of course there are days when joy may come in different shapes and sizes, it might not always be huge smiles and lots of bouncing up and down!! But when I live my life full of JOY for God, life is a lot better!! Joy is certainly a choice!! You have to choose joy even on the days that are rough, even when you are walking in the valley, and when life is hard! But friends, I promise you that the choice of Joy in Christ is amazing!!! The freedom that comes with JOY is un-replaceable! Therefore, I will always CHOOSE JOY, for myself, for my kids, and for our life!

9. Life truly goes by so fast!! If you don't embrace where you are at, every single day...years will have flown by without you even knowing it!! I can hardly believe how fast the past 10 years have flown by! ( I realize that that statement alone makes me sounds like I am 100 years old, but it is TRUE!!! :)) I am learning to make every second really COUNT and I am striving to be intentional with my family, I don't want to miss a second with them!!

8. True friends are very hard to come by!! A lot of people have come and gone in my life over the years, and I am so thankful for each one!! I have been refined by so many relationships, in both good and hard ways!! I am so thankful for the people that I have in my life right now! They are wonderfully loving, good listening, unconditional, GODLY families who live their lives very similarly to how Wyatt and I desire to live our lives and raise our family!! I have also learned that you don't need an entire entourage of people! Friendships are great, I don't want to discount that, but everyone cannot be your BEST friend!! That title should only be reserved for people who know you, love you and are unconditional with you!! But for us, for this season, we are thankful for the handful of people loving on us as we love on them!! We are truly blessed!!

7. Life runs in seasons! In some seasons, life is full of family and friends and busy-ness! In other seasons, life means change--changing job, changing churches, moving to a different house in a different state or simply having a different outlook on life! Seasons are not bad, in fact they help you grow and spiritually mature! I love the season of life we are in right now! We have taken a step back to see what is really important!! We are re-evaluating where were are and where we want to be...it is a wonderful season of learning, reflecting and growing!

6. If someone is willing to talk TO you about someone else, be assured that they are willing to talk ABOUT you to someone else!! This has been a VERY hard lesson in the past years, but I am thankful to have learned it and moved on! I have readjusted my ideas of what a good conversation is...if all I have to talk about is someone else, I probably shouldn't be talking, or listening!

5. The statement "If you don't put anything IN TO(fill in the blank), you won't get anything OUT OF (Fill in the blank!)!" This is one of my biggest pet peeves, but it is also one of the biggest lessons I have learned over the past decade!! God can teach us something in EVERY situation, we just have to allow Him!! Our hearts and minds have to be open and centered on Him and what He is trying to teach us!! Early in my 20's, I got so "me"-minded...everything was about ME, so of course I wasn't getting anything out of ANYthing!! My dad and I had several chats about this and I had the hardest time understanding his point!! That life isn't about ME, it is about GOD and how I can serve Him best! Now, I understand what it takes to learn, be fed and grow!!! It takes me putting everything aside to focus on what God has for me to learn, even when it might not be a lesson I want to hear!!

4. A family that loves, serves and honors God is priceless!! I can't even begin to explain how many times in the past 10 years I have talked to my parents about choices that I am making or would make! They always answer(ed) my questions and concerns with Godly wisdom and discernment!! They LOVE God, and, because of them...I live my life for Christ, and my children will live their lives for Christ!! It is a legacy that started a very long time ago, that lives on today, through my parents, Wyatt and I, and our children! My parent's aren't fancy people, they don't have a huge house or drive fancy cars , but they are living life for Christ and there is nothing better than knowing that we will be together in Heaven someday, praising God together there! I am SO thankful for my parents and for the way they chose to obey God, even when it might not have been the life they were expecting!

3. Children are a BLESSING!!! My two kids are the BEST thing that could have ever happened to me!! I am so in love with them and their little personalities!! They make me laugh and cry because I love them SO much!! Before I had my kids, I got to hang out with a sweet little man named Griffin!! I started being his nanny when he was just 2 weeks old!! I had really never cared for a baby that small, yet his parents entrusted his little life to me!! He has been a true blessing to me, and, he has taught me so much about what being a true parents means!! I am so thankful for the ways that God touches me through Maddie and Zack every single day! I am also thankful for my relationship with Griffin and all that God has provided through him and his family!

2. My husband is my perfect match! If you would have told me 10 years ago that I would be marrying a man that was home schooled and had never kissed a girl before me, I would have laughed out loud!! I never knew that God would have someone SO AMAZING for me!! Wyatt is my best friend, he is the most incredible man I have ever met!! He still amazes me every single day with his patience, love and God fearing heart! He is a man of God, he loves God with his entire being! He challenges me to know and follow hard after God every single day! He is always on my side, but he is always willing to help me see the other side of any situation! Every decision that he makes for our family has been soaked in prayer! I am the luckiest woman in the world, and for him, I am SO thankful!!!

1. God is GOOD, ALL THE TIME!! He hears us when we talk to Him! He loves me unconditionally, and He is ALWAYS there!! He is proud of me, and He gives me the affirmation I need, simply because I belong to Him! I guess this isn't new to me, it is just a lesson that I have to learn over and over again! God is bigger than me, He is bigger than any situation I feel like I can't get over! He is BIGGER than my fears and failures! He knows me inside and out! He knows my heart's desire's! He knows my character and my integrity! He knows my passions and my struggles!! HE IS BIG...nd I am SO thankful!!

Father that you for your BIG-ness! Thank you for being constant with me and for loving me, hearing me and protecting me! Father, please guide me as I enter this new season of life! Please give me wisdom and guidance!! Father please help me to serve You, above all things!! Remind me each morning that You have provided a new day for me! Help me to keep focus on doing Your work each day!! Please give me wisdom and discernment in my mommy-ing skills, with my relationship with Wyatt, with my family...and in my friendships! Please use me to shine Your love, in all circumstances!! Please give me contagious JOY!! I love you and I give YOU the glory!! Amen!

Happy NEW year!

Happy New Year Friends!! It is so hard to believe that it is already a new year!! Thanksgiving and Christmas have come and gone and here we are looking at the beginning of another year!! I am SO EXCITED for this year! It is going to be the BEST year for the Jenkins family, I can feel it in my bones!! Wyatt took 16 days off for Christmas and just went back to work today, needless to say, we are MISSING him VERY much! During his time home we had a BLAST together!! We had a lot of good friends over for dinner and we got to spend New Year's with our BESTest college buddies!! It was a par-tay!!! :)

Some of the best time we had were the evenings that Wyatt and I just sat together and chatted!! I love my husband so much, he gets me in ways that I never thought someone could understand me!! I am so thankful for his love and unconditional-ness!! We feel like this year there is going to be a LOT of change, BUT, we are EXCITED about what 2010 holds for our family!!! We trust that God will guide and direct us and we are excited to follow His will for us!! During some of our chats, Wyatt made some pretty awesome challenges to me, I am ready to watch God work in my heart and mind!! Go GOD!!!! I also wanted to share some of my own personal goals for this year!

*Spend time in God's Word FIRST thing every morning!! If I am going to trust Him with my life, then I need to start my day with Him, every day!

*I want to be a better wife! I know that this sounds cheesy but it is true! Wyatt is amazing and his is the most incredible gift that God could have ever given to me!! So, one way I want to be better is that I want to be more mindful at making dinners that he especially enjoys! Sometimes I get stuck in a rut and he is SO patient, but I know I can do better! I want to make sure he has something yummy for breakfast and something to take to work with him for lunch! We aren't a big leftover family, BUT I am in charge of the food in our house and I want to take care of Wyatt by making sure he is well fed! Again, I know that sounds cheesy but it is big for me!!

*I would like to lose 50 pounds this year! I lost 70 last year and if I could lose another 50, I think I would be at a good place! Please pray for perserverance for me friends!!

* I want to stick to our budget and feel good about where we are one year from today!! By this time next year, we should have a lot paid off and that would be AWESOME for us!!!

* I want to be better about communicating with my friends!! I am not good on the phone, but I need to be better!! It always makes me feel special to get a call from someone, just because they are thinking about me! I think about people all the time, I just need to pick up the phone and tell them so!! I also want to send at least one letter per week! I LOVE to get mail, so I am sure others do too! :)

* I want to be more confident, pretty much all the way around!!!!

*I want to have contagious JOY!!!!

These are just a few of my goals for this year!! I am looking forward to all of the new adventures that God has in store for me and my sweet family this year!!!

"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus!" 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18