Grandpa Ben

  Last week I made it back home from Seattle in time to say goodbye to Grandpa.  I told him that I loved him and that I was here now and that I'd take care of Grandma, and that it was okay to go be with Jesus.  

  God is faithful and merciful.  He gave us more time with him and more time to tell him about Jesus. 

  "Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uniformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.   For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him."

1 Thessalonians 4:13-14

Redemption

  Last night I finished the book called, Redemption.  It is written by Karen Kinsbury and Gary Smalley.  It is the first book in it's series.  It was definitely different from other books that I've read.  Without giving anything away it's a book about a woman who fights for her marriage, while her husband is having an affair and wants a divorce. 

  First off, I can NOT imagine!  I think I'm like most people and that the idea of wanting to stay with an unfaithful spouse is something a little hard to comprehend.  I feel like we live in a world where the idea is mind blowing actually.  We have more the mind set of, "Don't let the door hit ya on the way out."  But this character has a strong conviction that God wants her to stay in this marriage, pray for her husband and stick it out.  My mind is still trying to wrap itself around this book.  Which means it is a good book.  Good books are always the ones that take a couple days to work through.

  It was a little slow in the beginning, but it picked up and by the end my Kleenex box was a must.  I bought the second book last night and I'm excited to keep reading.  I am so glad that it is a series.  I haven't ran into a series for a while, and I've missed them.  I hate reading a good book and then just having it end.  There are so many things usually left unsaid or undone, and I feel that a series gives me more closure.  Which I feel I need!  :)  This book does leave you with closure, so if you only want to read just this one, you don't have to read the others to get it.  But curiosity has yet to kill this cat, so I'm on to the next book.
  

Cowboy up!

   On Saturday, Mom and I and a bunch of other local people went horseback riding.  We started a couple miles down the road and rode down to Trout Creek.  So it was probably a good 10 mile ride.  We rode in the ditch a lot and when there wasn't any traffic sometimes we rode up on the highway.  

  When we got down to Trout Creek we stopped in and had dinner.  Dad met us down there with the horse trailer so when we were done with dinner we were ready to head home.  It was pretty cold, but we wore lots of layers so it wasn't too bad.  

  Dad tried taking a couple pictures of Mom and I with his phone.  It was so funny just trying to get a good shot while he tried to figure out what he was doing and how to get the flash to work, while we tried to keep from laughing.  

  I took Lucy into get groomed on Tuesday and boy was she wiped out by the time I picked her up.  She definitely has some anxiety when she's not in her comfort zone.  She's just a big baby!  :)

  She could have sat in the seat and looked out the window like she did on the way to town, but she was too wiped out to care.  So she just sat on the floor with her head on the seat giving me this pathetic look.  Poor girl!  :(  

  Saturday is the Seahawk game...  we are sure hoping that they can win and keep going.  Come on Seahawks!!!

My helpful tools

  I love the idea of a clean slate.  A chance to do better and to make our lives better.  So a new year excites me with possibilities and motivation to make this year even better.  After reading Shay's post about this neat planner from Eric Condren I jumped at the chance to get one as well.   I love that I could personalize it with family pictures.  I love the idea that when I look at my calender to schedule things in it, that the first thing I'm gonna see is my families faces and I'm hoping that it will make me think about whether it is something that I really want to be scheduling in or not.  I'm hoping that being more organized this year will help everything, to run smoother and for me to accomplish more this way.

  Also... I've decided that it's time for me to be a big girl (now that I'm 31) and start taking my vitamins.  So I've started taking a multi vitamin and a vitamin D supplement.  Through out the winter and spring months it is rare that we see the sun.  I feel that we could easily go 3 to 3 1/2 weeks without seeing the sun.  So depressing!!!  So when we see it, I am rejoicing and thanking God all day for it.  I'm hoping that the vitamin D will help give me a little boost.  Plus I'm trying to keep drinking lots of water through out the day.  Which I feel I do better with if I have my water bottle or this water cup filled up and sitting on the counter. 

 
  And I think it's time that I dusted this baby off and get to work.  :)  We have one really small "gym" in our town.  From what I've seen of it, it doesn't look too motivating.  They've just got a few pieces of equipment in a house that's been remodeled to fit the equipment in.  I figured years ago that I would save the $60 a month and just try to exercise at home.  It's definitely not as motivating, but maybe I can find some yoga videos or something?!  But until then, this bike and I are gonna become friends. 

  I bought myself a journal that I am going to try writing in everyday.  I've come across a few different people lately that have suggested to journal 3 things that you are grateful for everyday along with one positive thing that happened to you that day.  I guess it's supposed to help you look for the good things each day, and help train your brain to think more positively.  Thought I'd give it a try.

  And last but not least, I want to spend more time in God's word, in prayer and memorizing scripture.  The coffee... I should probably cut back on.  Maybe I will wait and work on cutting back the coffee until next year!  ;) 

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!!!

 

  Dan and I were laughing yesterday as we were picking up the house from our New Years Eve party.  Jesse and Gracie were in the living room talking and they were saying how they thought 2013 was a really good year and how they already missed it.  :)  I am thankful that they could look back on the year that we had with all the fun things that we did, and that it was fun and happy for them. 

  2013 was a growing year I feel for me.  I decided to put my photography career on hold indefinitely, as I refocus my attention to the most important things in my life.  The extra money on the side isn't worth the time away from my family, when we can do without it.  I look at my family and realize that I've got one shot... to raise these silly kids, to love them, teach them, listen to them and there isn't anything that I would rather do than be a stay at home Mom so that I can be there anytime that I'm needed.  A career for me can wait if I'm supposed to have one.  I've been blessed with an amazing family and I don't want to look back years later and realize that my eyes were set on material things instead of on Jesus and loving the family He blessed with me with. 

  I look forward to making new memories with my crew and I hope that my kids will think as fondly of 2014 as we did with 2013.