Tuesday, April 24, 2012

April Photo A Day Catch Up

WOW!  I tell ya, time is flying by.  I am getting my pictures taken, I just can't seem to get them upload.  So this post will have several photos.  

Day 14:  How you feel today   #photoADayApril
Peace and Hearts--A Happy Combination Don't ya think?

Day 15:  Sunset   #photoADayApril
Not much of a picture, this was the best I could do on this day.  :(

Day 16:  Flower     #PhotoADayApril
This is my favorite photo!

Day 17:  Something you don't like    #PhotoADayApril
I don't like the green in my pool!

Day 18:  Hair     #PhotoADayApril
My oldest daughter
Day 19:  Orange   #PhotoADayApril
an envelope  :(   (Not very creative)

Day 20:  Something You Drew    #PhotoADayApril

Day 21:  Bottle    #photoadayapril

I hope you all had a great day.  I will be back tomorrow with the rest of the photos!  Maybe I can catch up! The May Photo Challenge is already out.


Monday, April 23, 2012

BBS 2012 {week 1}

Hey All!  I'm linking up with Monica over at Blessed Mama.

Let me say that reading the first two chapters of the book "What's It Like Being Married To Me" gives you a swift kick in the behind!  Most, if not all the topics hit home with me.

By Design, Not Default starts the book asking why women get married, she discusses how men and women marry for different reasons.  Men marry for simpler reasons than women.  Linda Dillow writes "I refuse to settle for mediocrity.  I refuse to live out scripts handed to me by the media, by mothers, by anyone other than God."  This is so true!  I want to be the wife God wants me to be.  I want God to lead me in that direction.  Is mediocrity or the lack of continually working on your marriage the reason so many people are divorcing after many years of marriage?  Or is because life changes and we no longer work with our spouse?   Our relationship has evolved over the years to what is it today.  It will change in the future as we age.   I want to grow old with J. in a happy, loving, devoted marriage.

What Is Really Important To Me?
If you asked me that question before I started reading this book, I would say "God, My hubby, My girls, My extended/church family.  PERIOD! 
Now ask me how I spend my time?  God (including worship/bible study/prayer), work, girls extra-curricular activities, extended family, J.  WHAT!!!  How did that happen?!?  How did and J. end up last?  This is the last thing I wanted to happen.  But it has, now, we have to fix it.  So what does Linda Dillow suggest we do: 

Set A Goal:  Dillow defines goal as "a purpose to which a woman in unalterably committed."  Goals are often confused with desires, defined as "something wanted that can't be obtained without the cooperation of another person"
My goal:  I will strive to be a Christian wife to J.  I will strive to put J. before others. 

Write a Marriage Purpose Statement:  According to Dillow this is a "conscious creation of who you want to become".

I will be faithful.
I will be loving.
I will be forgiving.
I will be truthful.
I will be caring.
I will be loyal.


 

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Sunday Blessings

Happy Sunday Everyone!  Today is the day we give thanks to God for all he has provided.  I am blessed and given much more than I deserve.  This post is just a sample of all the things I have been given.

My Faith

I have a strong faith and I am so thankful that God is always near.  It is that simple.  He listens to all my problems. 

My Marriage

As I am reading "What's It Like Being Married To Me?" I am finding out out how truly blessed I am to be married to a wonderful Christian man.  I hope that together we can be a postivie example of what marriage should be to our daughters.  As with all relationships we have our "ups and downs", however, it is always easier when you have the same goals in mind.

My Home

I am so thankful I have place to come home to everyday.   This is the one place that you can be relaxed and have no worries if you choose.  I am thankful that I have my children and husband to share it with.  I am thankful for my family, extended family, and church family that has help make memories on our home.


 


Saturday, April 21, 2012

Something to think about...

If you have been reading "What's It Like Being Married To Me" it has been eye opening, I tell ya!  You will have to wait until Monday to see my thoughts on Chapter 1.

However, I saw this on facbook and wanted to share. I believe it orginated from Khyrie D. Flowers.  I have no idea if it is true/false.  This was just one of those things that was shared time and time again.  The message just spoke to me after starting to read the Blog Bible Study Book.

Married or not you should read this...

“When I got home that night as my wife served dinner, I held her hand and said, I’ve got something to tell you. She sat down and ate quietly. Again I observed the hurt in her eyes.

Suddenly I didn’t know how to open my mouth. But I had to let her know what I was thinking. I want a divorce. I raised the topic calmly. She didn’t seem to be annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly, why?

I avoided her question. This made her angry. She threw away the chopsticks and shouted at me, you are not a man! That night, we didn’t talk to each other. She was weeping. I knew she wanted to find out what had happened to our marriage. But I could hardly give her a satisfactory answer; she had lost my heart to Jane. I didn’t love her anymore. I just pitied her!

With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorce agreement which stated that she could own our house, our car, and 30% stake of my company. She glanced at it and then tore it into pieces. The woman who had spent ten years of her life with me had become a stranger. I felt sorry for her wasted time, resources and energy but I could not take back what I had said for I loved Jane so dearly. Finally she cried loudly in front of me, which was what I had expected to see. To me her cry was actually a kind of release. The idea of divorce which had obsessed me for several weeks seemed to be firmer and clearer now.

The next day, I came back home very late and found her writing something at the table. I didn’t have supper but went straight to sleep and fell asleep very fast because I was tired after an eventful day with Jane. When I woke up, she was still there at the table writing. I just did not care so I turned over and was asleep again.

In the morning she presented her divorce conditions: she didn’t want anything from me, but needed a month’s notice before the divorce. She requested that in that one month we both struggle to live as normal a life as possible. Her reasons were simple: our son had his exams in a month’s time and she didn’t want to disrupt him with our broken marriage.

This was agreeable to me. But she had something more, she asked me to recall how I had carried her into out bridal room on our wedding day. She requested that every day for the month’s duration I carry her out of our bedroom to the front door ever morning. I thought she was going crazy. Just to make our last days together bearable I accepted her odd request.

I told Jane about my wife’s divorce conditions. . She laughed loudly and thought it was absurd. No matter what tricks she applies, she has to face the divorce, she said scornfully.

My wife and I hadn’t had any body contact since my divorce intention was explicitly expressed. So when I carried her out on the first day, we both appeared clumsy. Our son clapped behind us, daddy is holding mommy in his arms. His words brought me a sense of pain. From the bedroom to the sitting room, then to the door, I walked over ten meters with her in my arms. She closed her eyes and said softly; don’t tell our son about the divorce. I nodded, feeling somewhat upset. I put her down outside the door. She went to wait for the bus to work. I drove alone to the office.

On the second day, both of us acted much more easily. She leaned on my chest. I could smell the fragrance of her blouse. I realized that I hadn’t looked at this woman carefully for a long time. I realized she was not young any more. There were fine wrinkles on her face, her hair was graying! Our marriage had taken its toll on her. For a minute I wondered what I had done to her.

On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I felt a sense of intimacy returning. This was the woman who had given ten years of her life to me. On the fifth and sixth day, I realized that our sense of intimacy was growing again. I didn’t tell Jane about this. It became easier to carry her as the month slipped by. Perhaps the everyday workout made me stronger.

She was choosing what to wear one morning. She tried on quite a few dresses but could not find a suitable one. Then she sighed, all my dresses have grown bigger. I suddenly realized that she had grown so thin, that was the reason why I could carry her more easily.

Suddenly it hit me… she had buried so much pain and bitterness in her heart. Subconsciously I reached out and touched her head.

Our son came in at the moment and said, Dad, it’s time to carry mom out. To him, seeing his father carrying his mother out had become an essential part of his life. My wife gestured to our son to come closer and hugged him tightly. I turned my face away because I was afraid I might change my mind at this last minute. I then held her in my arms, walking from the bedroom, through the sitting room, to the hallway. Her hand surrounded my neck softly and naturally. I held her body tightly; it was just like our wedding day.

But her much lighter weight made me sad. On the last day, when I held her in my arms I could hardly move a step. Our son had gone to school. I held her tightly and said, I hadn’t noticed that our life lacked intimacy. I drove to office…. jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the door. I was afraid any delay would make me change my mind…I walked upstairs. Jane opened the door and I said to her, Sorry, Jane, I do not want the divorce anymore.

She looked at me, astonished, and then touched my forehead. Do you have a fever? She said. I moved her hand off my head. Sorry, Jane, I said, I won’t divorce. My marriage life was boring probably because she and I didn’t value the details of our lives, not because we didn’t love each other anymore. Now I realize that since I carried her into my home on our wedding day I am supposed to hold her until death do us apart. Jane seemed to suddenly wake up. She gave me a loud slap and then slammed the door and burst into tears. I walked downstairs and drove away. At the floral shop on the way, I ordered a bouquet of flowers for my wife. The salesgirl asked me what to write on the card. I smiled and wrote, I’ll carry you out every morning until death do us apart.

That evening I arrived home, flowers in my hands, a smile on my face, I run up stairs, only to find my wife in the bed -dead. My wife had been fighting CANCER for months and I was so busy with Jane to even notice. She knew that she would die soon and she wanted to save me from the whatever negative reaction from our son, in case we push through with the divorce.— At least, in the eyes of our son—- I’m a loving husband….

The small details of your lives are what really matter in a relationship. It is not the mansion, the car, property, the money in the bank. These create an environment conducive for happiness but cannot give happiness in themselves.

So find time to be your spouse’s friend and do those little things for each other that build intimacy. Do have a real happy marriage!

If you don’t share this, nothing will happen to you.

If you do, you just might save a marriage. Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up



Don't ya love it?

Do you not just love the new look of my blog?

Barbara over at Ruby Slippers Blog Design did everything that I asked and more!  She was wonderful to work with. If you are considering a new blog design please check out Ruby Slippers Blog Design.



I will be back tomorrow with Counting My Blessings, and next week look for the Blog Bible Book Study Post and a couple of posts with me catching up on my April photo challenge.

Today looks like it is going to be a wonderful day!  I am planning on putting the house in order this morning, getting things ready for next week and then heading outside.
Happy Saturday!


Friday, April 20, 2012

Need Ideas...

Hello All!

I need some ideas.  I have been chosen as the fundraising chairperson for the Band Boosters.  My oldest daughter is in the band, which consists of about 50 people.  We need to raise about $5,000 to help cover the costs for the fall.  These costs include travel and scholorships for additional training for the students (I love this one!, I wish we could offer more)

Do you have a great fundraising idea that you would like to share?  I would like to raise this at one time and be done with it.  If you know what I mean.

Please help me! 


Until Next Time...

Saturday, April 14, 2012

A Blog Bible Study

OK--Here is the scoop

Monica at Blessed Mama is co-hosting a Blog Bible Study with Rebekah from Life With The Edwards.

This is the book:

Kindle Version:  $9.99
Paperback Copy:  $11.43

I have already purchased this for my Kindle.  I am also taking Monica's advice and getting a cute notebook to keep all my notes in.

The start date is Monday, April 23, 2012.

I hope you will join in!


Until Next Time...

Friday, April 13, 2012

Fill In The Blank Friday


I am once again linking up over at The Little Things We Do for Fill in the Blank Friday. 


1.  Today is a good day because  it is a Friday.  Just the thought that we have two days before we return to work makes me giddy!

2.   The best thing I did all week was finish some craft projects for a spring craft swap that I am participating in.

3.  The current weather is cooler  and it makes me feel fabulous!  I love cooler weather.  In my opinion 70 degree weather is about perfect!

4. The best thing about spring is  the color of all the flowers.

5. A fashion trend that I'm dying to try out for spring is ...  I am not that trendy, however, I would like to weather other colors besides black and gray.

6. A person who made me smile this week was   my friend Cassandra.  She is always helping me or saying a kind word of encouragement.  I am blessed to have such a great Christian friend.

7.  The most delicious thing I ate all week was Easter Sunday dinner with my family.  Nothing is better than my  mom's home cooked meal.


I am still hanging in there with the April Photo A Day Challenge hosted by Fat Mum Slim.



Today is Day 13:  Something You Found     #PhotoADayApril
We found this on the pavement.  We thought it was super cool.

Until Next Time...



Thursday, April 12, 2012

April Photo A Day Challenge Catch Up

Hey Friends!  This post will be for me to catch up on all the photos that I have taken.  I just hadn't had time to post.  I hope everyone is doing well.

Day 7:  Shadow  #PhotoADayApril
Youngest daughter playing in the yard.

 Day 8:  Inside Your Wallet    #PhotoADayApril
Not much inside my wallet, just some credit cards and receipts.

 Day 9:  Younger You  #PhotoADayApril
This  picture was taken in 1990.  I took this photo from a scrapbook page. 

 Day 10:  Where You At Breakfast   #PhotoADayApril
Sadly, I usually eat breakfast in my car on my way to work. 

 Day 11:  Cold      #PhotoADayApril
This is a picture of ice.  Living in the deep south didn't give me alot of options.  The only other thing I could think of was my freezer.

Day 12:  Stairs     #PhotoADayApril
These are the steps leading up to our back deck.  They are looking a little rough.

Until Next Time...

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

I am linking up with This Kind of Love with What I'm Loving Wednesday!

 

  

I am loving that I only have to work 32 more days until Summer Vacation!  WHOOP!  WHOOP!
Check out K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Sister) for this free printable.

 


I am loving this wooden sign from an Etsy shop.  I hope my attitude is improving and it is now worth catching!

I am still loving taking pictures with the April Photo a Day Challenge.  I am way behind in posting my pictures.  I will be back tomorrow with a recap of my photos!

  

Until Next Time...


Sunday, April 8, 2012

Easter Sunday Blessings

Hallelujah Christ Arose!

What a joyful day today is!  As Christians we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  He died so that you can have eternal life if only you except him.

I found a wonderful new-to-me blog (Bee)eautiful Blessings.  
Each Sunday she has a link up where you Count Your Blessings.


First, let me tell you that I am blessed so much more than I deserve.  God has been so good to me!

Faith
Today is one of the most celebrated Sundays.  I feel that this is a time to reflect up what Jesus had to go through so that you and I can live eternally if we only believe.  I hope that today I can renew my dedication to serving the Lord.  I hope that I can set a Christian example through my actions.  I am looking forward to our Worship service and being able to Worship with my family.  I am so lucky in that I was raised by Christian parents who has shown me the love and grace that only God can provide.
 
Family
My sister and her family are coming to Easter Sunday Service with us.  I am so looking forward to this.  My parents, me and my sister will all be together on Sunday.  That is such a blessing to me since we now have our own families we don't get to see each other as much as we want to.    I hope we can make some photos.  After church, we are all going back to my parents place for lunch.
Health
 I thank God daily that my family for the most part is healthy.  Hubby and I have decided to try to loose ten pounds each, he is doing much better than I am.  Our goal is to be 10 pounds light by Memorial Day.  We shall see how this goes.  Hubby's doctor thinks this may help his cholesterol.  We both take medicine for this.  UGH!  My cholesterol is currently higher than his so we are also watching what we eat.
Work 
I am thankful that I have a job.  I am working very hard at renewing my love for my job.  I truly believe I have the job that God wants me to have.  I just don't find joy in it like I should.  I am praying that my joy will return and I will love my job again.

Until Next Time...

Friday, April 6, 2012

Good Friday

 I borrowed these words from a friend on facebook, so eloquently put that I didn't want to change.
Today is the darkest day in the Christian faith. Today is the day that Jesus was beaten, mocked, spit upon, humiliated, cursed, abandoned by His friends, loaded down with my sins and yours, had a crown of thorns (the thorns were about 3 inches long) pushed down on His head, and hung on a cruel cross. He did this for yo...u, He did this for me, He did this for people you love and for people you don't like. Thank you Jesus for your love for us! That's what held Him on that cross, HIS LOVE FOR US.


Day 6 of April Photo A Day Challenge from Fat Mum Slim:  Lunch

Since I had today off from work I had numerous errands to run.  My lunch today was half a club sandwich and potato soup from McAlister's Deli.  YUM!

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Photo of the Day #5

I hope today was a great day for everyone!  It has been super busy for me. However, this is my last day to work for the week!  Whoop!! Whoop!! 



Day 5 of April Photo A Day Challenge from Fat Mum Slim:  Tiny

This was my youngest daughter's idea.   
She thought it was funny to put her egg eraser in the carton with our eggs.


Until Next Time...

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

What I'm Loving Wednesday

I am linking up with This Kind of Love with What I'm Loving Wednesday!


 I am loving that instagram is now available for the droid.


 I am loving this Spring Bucket List from How To Nest For Less.




I am loving this Subway Art from BLAH.


I am loving the April Photo a Day Challenge.

Day 4 of April Photo A Day Challenge with Fat Mum Slim:  Someone Who Makes You Happy

This is easy.  My hubby!  This is where I find him after work in the spring.  He comes home from work, eats supper and then heads outside.  This afternoon he cut a little grass.


Until Next Time...

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

So Excited!

I just downloaded the Instagram app!! Whoop! Whoop!
It is now available for Android!!!


I just upload my first picture to instagram. I took the same picture with my phone that I did with my Nikon. Check it out! I am riverbendgirl on instagram.

Are you on instagram? Let me know how to follow you



Day 3 of April Photo A Day Challenge with Fat Mum Slim: Mail

We get an insane amount of mail every day now that hubby's dad's mail also come to our house.
However, I love this photo! It was taken with my Nikon, just in auto setting.




Until Next Time...

Monday, April 2, 2012

Monday

Today was a very warm afternoon, our high temperature was 87! That is way too hot for April! I hope this is not any indication of what summer will be like.

On Mondays, we get home later than normal due to my girls extra activities. All I can say is Thank God that someone invented the crock pot. I use my crock pot at least twice a week if not more. So, when we got home we had BBQ chicken waiting on us. YUM! Hubby can cook and since he got home before us he made the mashed potatoes and green beans. Sadly, there were no left overs.

Day 2 of April Photo A Day Challenge Hosted by Fat Mum Slim: Color
This is a picture that my daughter painted at a painting party. I thought this fit with today's photo challenge. This photo hangs in my oldest daughter's room which has grey walls. It looks great!

Day 2: Color #photoadayApril

Until Next Time...

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Happy April 1!

Today is Palm Sunday, The Sunday before Easter. As you go through this week think of all that has been possible, all the great things God has done for you. He died and arose so that we may live eternally if we only except him.

Have you seen this on Pinterest?




This is from A Night Owl Blog.

This is a youthful printable. I believe this is the first year that my girls are "too old" for egg hunts. Although I am sad that this time as come, my heart is full of joy becuase they know the real meaning of Easter.



This printable is from Curds and Whey.





On a lighter note....


Since today is the first day of a new month I am going to try to finish a photo challenge. I will be playing along with Fat Mum Slim.
Day 1: Your reflectionThis was a challenge for me. I am probably one of the few folks left that don't have an iphone. I have a Droid which I like. I don't like the fact that I can't get the instagram app. I apologize in advance for the poor photo. It was easier using my phone that my larger Nikon.




Day 1 My Reflection #photoadayapril



Until Next Time..