Seriously God?

As you can read in my previous post we are getting our new washer & dryers this week which I cannot WAIT for!  Each load I do our washer leaks more and more.  I am waiting for the big bust all through our house...but hey a girls gotta do laundry!

We have had our furniture for 5 years now.  We were so excited to have our first sectional.  It was so good to us!  It could seat a lot of people...the corner spot was the best!  It has been spilt on, puked on, peed on, and let's be honest farted on!  It was good to us.  We so desperately wanted new furniture but would never buy any right now with 2 kids.  Not to mention our big purchase we just made.  Not to spiritualize everything but our prayers for this year were to get a washer/dryer, furniture, and a convertible van.  (yes I said it a van...but more on the van later)  January is not even over with yet & God has met our needs in unbelievable ways!  Things we put on the back burner because it wasn't that big of a deal but then God takes something so trivial & small & reminds us how valuable & important we are to him in the small stuff.  Our wonderful & faithful microfiber sectional with it's broken springs and all its stains is finally gone!

A wonderful family from church got new furniture & was looking for a home for their old stuff.  Well, what's one mans trash is another mans treasure!  What a treasure it is!  This is some sturdy, whimsical, fabulous furniture that God blessed us with!  (even the dogs think so)  They gave us a nice comfy couch & chaise.  We no longer fall into the "broken spring" hole.  I have a new reading area in the morning for my devotional time that I love!

Isn't it fun?  Much better than the stains & brokenness of the old couch!  Our God is good.  

You are entirely faithful!  Psalm 89:8

Front or Top?

Our dryer has been on the brinks for well since we got it.  We bought it brand new but for some reason it just never fully dried our clothes unless we ran them 2 times through.  We just figured it was due to the apartment and the long venting for the moist air to get out of.  Lowe's even replaced it for us with a little better one than the Roper!  It's all we could afford and I was just grateful we didn't have to go to the laundry mat.  So, when we bought our house it continued to do the same thing so we had the heating element replaced in it.  It continued to do the same thing so we just sucked it up & figured well this is how its got to be.  So, since we have lived here I have to dry each load 2-3 times each.  Talk about a long day of laundry, seriously!  Last week our washer started to leak out the front.  For real?  Now we have been saving for a long time to buy a new washer and dryer but taking that plunge is umm...well...kind of scary!  We never want to make a hasty decision when spending money...especially a lot of it.  I always dreamt of these beautiful front loaders that are energy start with those fabulous drawers underneath beaming from my laundry room calling my name to toss my dirty laundry into.  Okay not quite but they are pretty fabulous! I knew they were expensive & I knew we have been saving but to be quite honest I felt like why do I need those big huge machines that wash a large amount of laundry & look oh so fine?  That's just it, I didn't!  Once we got to Sear's (our favorite large appliance store) after browsing on-line I knew that we were leaning towards some HE Top Loaders!  Yep, I said it, top loader.  It just sounds kind of dated, right?  Well, WRONG!  I was shocked to find out that these fabulous, wonderful, clothes washing machines were even bigger than some of those oh so fine front loaders!  Not to mention the money we would be saving on them simply because we didn't have to pay for those ridiculously over priced bases.  We walked out of Sear's purchasing a brand spankin new Washer & Dryer that are HUGE compared to our what 3.2 cu ft washer & 3x through dryer!  I am amped, juiced, pumped out of my gourd to get a new washer & dryer!  My favorite part of it all...we paid CASH!  Not only that but we left with 100.00 in our pocket that we didn't even need to spend on them!  Plus they get delivered, installed & they are taking our old ones away.  FABULOUS!  I praise God for allowing us to be faithful with our saving, content with what we can afford, and not feel like we need to over spend, over indulge in something we don't really need.  I'll be sure to post pictures once my new beauties arrive!

Tubby Time

This is what bath time looks like with Mommy Daddy!

A SUPER full tub, LOTS & LOTS of bubbles & toys!

First "non-papercutz" Craft

So I kicked off my new year with a fabulous little craft I did for my bff's birthday!  She asked for a sewing machine for her birthday so I thought it would be fun to get her a sewing basket & fill it with all of the things she would need!  But who wants a boring pin cushion?  So, I made this one!

Super fun & super cute!  Hope you make one too!

New Year New Goals

I know I am a little behind on traditional "new years resolutions" but to be quite honest I think they are overrated!  I think people feel obligated to make them and then a month in dismiss them because they are no longer obligated or passionate to uphold them.  

Then there is the other side of the spectrum where people don't set any goals becaue then they cannot set themselves up for failure.  If you have no expectations then I guess you can never disappoint yourself, huh?

I would like to think that I fall someplace in the middle.  I want to have some realistic & manageable goals that I can obtain!  I don't want to set the bar so high that I am just setting myself up for failure so why bother trying.  It's so easy to get into that cycle.

Some of my goals this year:

fall more deeply in love with my savior

take time to enjoy my family more

grow my business

pay off more debt (we are almost there)

invest in a new car..well van...yep I said it!

 (I guess get back into debt :-/)

Run a 5K...and then maybe a 10K

eat cleaner

invest in the lives of others

have more date nights

have a bigger garden

As I take a look back 2010 God was working in our lives in a more deep & personal way.  It was one of the hardest years I think we have experienced as a married couple but God has carried us through it.  It was a hard year financially but nothing like we have experienced before but maybe because we have grown through that stuff.  We have experienced & tasted God's amazing faithfulness & provision!  That we don't really worry about our finances.  God takes good care of us & His word is true!

For the word of the Lord holds true, and we can trust everything he does...the Lord's plans stand firm forever; his intentions can never be shaken.  Psalm 33: 4 & 11

Often times I am quick to forget about what God has done in our lives over a whole year!  I took a moment to look back & remember how God has once again provided for our needs.  Last year we applied at all 3 magnet schools & prayed for Gabe to make it into just one of them!  We don't live in the best school district so we wanted him to go to one of the magnet schools.  God heard our please & cries & answered our prayers with Pease Academy.  This past year Gabe started kindergarten there which was a HUGE adjustment for everyone.  We have adjusted!  It is going much better!  He likes school most days.  :-)

I ventured out & started my own business.  Kind of scared at first but I knew I needed to do something once Gabe started school.  I kicked off Papercutz!  It has been a huge success in my eyes.  I didn't want to make millions or make it where Bill could stay home, ha!  I just want to do what I love to do & make a little money doing it.  If we want to go to Dallas for the weekend or splurge on that new front loader (wishful thinking) we can do it and it doesn't put any pressure on my already hard working hubby to come up with those added expenses.

I had my first garden!  I love that my dad lives here because he has taught me so much about it.  I am so excited to do another one this year!  I even canned for the first time!  We are eating it this winter & it has been amazing!  Nothing like peaches & pears from summer!  yummy!

We had our house on the market but then finally decided to be content & satisfied where God has placed us!

We went on the exodus trip & got to be blessed out by some amazing people & make great new friends!

God has taught us a bunch this past year & I am excited to see what he has planned for our family this year!  I know it will be great!

Better Late Than Never Take 2

On the first night of Christmas break we hung with the 2 greatest people ever!  

Guncle Jake & Aunt Jessi!

They are like family!

 We went & saw some lights at the Starbright Village!

 We went to the Museum of the Southwest!

They had all these fabulous quilts on display!

This is really what it's like trying to get a picture of my kids!  It makes me laugh!

They also had all the trains going!

Then we played at the Children's Museum!

Christmas Eve!

We made our birthday cake to celebrate Jesus' birth!

We went to a candle light service at our church.

Then we went over to Nanny's house for appetizers & stockings!

Then home for our tradition...one present on Christmas Eve!  New Jammies!

This is what our house looked like Christmas Eve!

My favorite part of the whole morning!  'What God Wants For Christmas'

Gabe wanted to do this before he even opened gifts!  Then he wanted us to open the gifts he made us before he even wanted to open anything!  I was so proud!

You saw the before picture!  This was the after!  Can we say blessed?  Umm...yeah we sure can!

Christmas day morning we went to Nanny's to open gifts!  Then back home for a nap!

Gea & Poppy's for Dinner!

Over break we also did some painting...

We also got to go see Yogi bear, Gea & Poppy took them to Chuckie Cheese!  We had a fabulous break!

Here's a few more snapshots of what our house looked like this Christmas!

Hope you & your family all have a fabulous Christmas & New Year!