Luke's Birthday Party

We went to a birthday party for Annabelle's friend Luke today but before we left I got this picture. So sweet!


Annabelle adores these little shoes that she got from an "older" friend (she's 5 :) )


It was Luke's birthday; he turned 3. Annabelle talks about him whenever she mentions her friends.


The theme of the party was play dough and so after opening presents all the kids got to play with play dough.


This was the girls table. :)


Annabelle has always really liked shape sorters so her and Noah had fun with this one.


What a fun party!

Well, the storm is coming right now. I am still praying I make it out on Thursday but I wouldn't mind if Adam had a snow day tomorrow off work! :)

Weekend Wrap Up

We have had a pretty busy past few days. Thursday morning started out with Adelyn eating some peanut butter. It is so precious because she wants to eat it with a spoon and so it is just ev-e-ry-where!

Thursday we had a play date with some of our favorite people Kate and Anna and their mommy Cara. I enjoyed so much just talking and Annabelle and Adelyn LOVED playing with the girlies. It was so awesome because Cara's girls are just as far apart as A and A but they are now 5 and 6 and so I feel like she has great insight to my life and she is a very godly and empathetic woman so I throughly enjoy her company! Also, her girls are so well behaved and so it is just fun to be around them. I told her that I would love it if A and A turned out to be just like Kate and Anna!


Thursday night I was looking for my passport and found this picture of Adam, me, and Annabelle (She's in my tummy!) in Israel. We had the chance of a lifetime to go to Israel and see and study the stories of Jesus and actually see where they happened. It was one of the most awesome things I have ever done and I would love to go back one day!


Also, on Thursday night we ate noodles and afterward Adelyn kept sneezing. Well, about 30 minutes later, this noodle came out of her nose. No Joke! Crazy and hilarious!


On Friday morning I woke up to my last day of my Beth Moore David study. I have enjoyed it so much and the neat thing is that although I really learned a lot from what Beth Moore said, I feel like it all pointed me to scripture. It has been such a rich period of studying scripture for me and I am so thankful for that!


On Friday morning, I worked on making so bows and then we went to the mall with the Moseleys. It was really fun!



I always love seeing the girls play and it is nice to get out of our house in the winter time!


Saturday was jam packed with fun too! I had a meeting in the morning and then in the afternoon Emily and Carmyn came over and we went to Target and then they came over to the house, we cooked dinner and played "Just Dance!" It was super fun! Carmyn stayed over really late on Saturday night and we had a great talk. I just love her.

This morning, everything was so crazy. Adelyn was bad. Everything with the sound system was going crazy and I was even supposed to sing the verses to the first song and my mic got muted. Everyone was super duper dead and Adam old everyone that we weren't up there to perform but that we wanted them to worship the Almighty God with us! I respect him so much and love his leadership in worship. Although everything was crazy this morning, God moved in the service. Our pastor talked about how Satan wants to distract us with anything he can and wants us to focus on our failures but that God wants us to focus on His grace. It was awesome! I can't wait to dive into some of the scriptures he mentioned this morning!

Carmyn came over after church and ate lunch with us and then took a nap with me :) and then we went to small group tonight. I am so proud of her for really giving her life over to Christ and striving to follow Him! She is an awesome girl and I know if she lets Him that God is going to use her in a great way for His glory!!

We have a busy week ahead. A snow strom coming (keeping my fingers crossed that it's not! ha!), a birthday party, my step mom's coming for a visit, I am leaving for Arkansas for one of my good friend's weddings, and Adam's parents are coming to help Adam keep the girls! Whew! That makes me tired even typing all of that BUT may we never get too busy to remember why we are here...............

The Armor of God- Ephesians 6

Ephesians 6

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

McArthur says, "The true believer described in Ephesians 1-3 who lives a spirit controlled life can be sure that they will face spiritual warfare." Wow. So, if I am walking in the Lord doing the best to be controlled by His Spirit, I better be ready!

These verses say that our battle isn't against people; it's against Satan and his workers. These verses remind me of 2 Corinthians 10:3-5. (Message)

^3-6The world is unprincipled. The world doesn't fight fair. But we don't live or fight our battles that way—never have and never will. The tools of our trade aren't for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture. We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity.

So, the bible tells us what we can do. It tells us to fight out battles with "God tools" which are described here in the next few verses. McArthur says," Only the truth of God's word can defeat Satanstic falsehoods. That is true spiritual warfare... we are suppose to assault error with truth. That is our battle." He also says, "...battles of temptation go on regularly. The Lord's power, the strength of the Spirit and the force of biblical truth are required for victory."

So, verse 14 starts the armor of God. To be honest, I have always been a little confused by these verses because I didn't understand how they were actually to be applied to my life but the awesome thing about studying the bible is that God is ready and willing to reveal Himself to me if I just ask and really want to know!

vs 14- Breastplate of Righteousness

"As believers faithfully live in obedience to and communion with Jesus Christ, His own righteousness produces in them the practical, daily righteousness that becomes their spiritual breastplate. Lack of holiness on the other hand, leaves them vulnerable to the great enemy of their souls."

Corinthians 7:1 says "...let's make a clean break with everything that defiles or distracts us, both within and without. Let's make our entire lives fit and holy temples for the worship of God."

The word distracts drew my attention here. I need to rid my life of anything that distracts me from righteousness (or leading a life that is pleasing to God.)

vs 15- Gospel of Peace

"It is that confidence of divine support which allows the believer to stand firm, knowing that since he is at peace with God, and God is his strength." (Romans 8:31, 37-39)

vs 16- Shield of Faith

"The believers continual trust in God's word and promise is "above all" absolutely necessary to protect him from temptations to every sort of sin. All sin comes when the victim falls to Satan's lies and promises of pleasure, rejecting the better choice of obedience and blessing."

vs 17- Helmet of Salvation

Satan aims to confuse our salvation, as in causing us to doubt but God promises when we give our lives to him at salvation, we are His forever. John 10:28 says, " I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand." "Security is a fact, assurance is a feeling that comes to the obedient Christian" (1 Peter 1:3-10)

vs 17 Sword of the Spirit

"Just as the sword in battle was the solider's only weapon so the Word of God is our only needed weapon, infinitely more powerful that Satan's!" Hebrews 4:12 says, "For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. "

McArthur says, "Standing firm against the enemy without wavering or falling is the goal." James 4:17 says, "If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them." 1 Peter 5:8-9 says, " Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings."

'The idea is of sincere commitment to fight and win without hypocrisy- self discipline in devotion to victory."

...and verse 18 gives further instruction, saying we are to pray always in the Spirit, being watchful to the end with perseverance.

First, let me say, that everything that is in quotes came from John McArthur's study bible. Adam got a new one and so he let me have his old one! Yah for me! Love that the Lord has given me much more clarity on these verses and yet again established in my heart that first of all, everyday God is willing to give me all these things but I have to choose to take them daily, moment by moment really. Part of it is my choice. I must "chose this day who I will serve." (Joshua 24:15)

I have been reading, Dobson's "The new Dare to Discipline." While I do not agree with everything it says (and have not in any way figured out this whole discipline thing!!), I think it offers so great tips and advice on discipline. More thoughts on that later...

Answers

I got some pretty interesting questions. Here goes:

What is your favorite childhood memory?
It would have to be playing fun games and being silly with my brother and going to a near by field with him and picking flowers for our mom.

Who in the bible do you relate to the most?
David. I feel like I desire so badly to have a heart like Jesus. I come up short a lot but that is my heart's desire.

How many children do you want to have?
4 or 5 but for sure one at a time and spaced out a bit :)

You lead worship with your husband right? Do you sing backup and what is your favorite song to sing with him?
Yes, I lead worship with Adam. He is the worship leader and I sing harmony and occasionally I sing a song by myself. One of my favorite songs to sing with him right now is "Reign in Us." Some songs I love to sing by myself are "Revelation Song," and "I Need You More."

I got another list of questions like this:
Mark an "x" if you have done these things.

( ) shot a gun
(x) gone on a blind date
(x) Skipped school
() watched someone die
( ) Visited Canada
( x ) Visited Hawaii
( ) Visited Cuba
(x)Visited Europe
(x) Visited South America
(x) Visited Las Vegas
(x) Visited Mexico
(x) Visited Florida
(x) Seen the Grand Canyon
(x) Flown on a plane
( ) Served on a Jury
(x) Been lost----ALL THE TIME ha!
(x) Traveled to the opposite side of the country
(x) Visited Washington , DC
(x) Swam in the Ocean
(x) Cried yourself to sleep.
(x) Played Cops and Robbers
(x) Played Cowboys and Indians
( x) Recently colored with crayons
(x) Sang Karaoke
( x) Paid for a meal with coins only
(x) Made prank phone calls---- in college all the time!
() Laughed until some beverage came out of your nose
(x) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
(x) Had children
(x) Had a pet
() Been skinny-dipping outdoors
(x) Been fishing
(x) Been boating
(x) Been Water Skiing
(x) Been Downhill Skiing
(x) Been Hiking
() Been camping in a trailer/RV
(x) Been camping in a tent
(x) Flown in a small 4-seater airplane
( ) Flown in a glider
(x) Flown in a helicopter
( ) Flown in a hot air balloon
( ) Walked on a glacier
() Driven a Motorcycle
(x) Been bungee-jumping
(x) Gone to a drive-in movie
(x) Done something that could have killed you?
(x) Done something that you will regret (feel sad about) for the rest of your life.
(x) Visited Africa
(x) Rode an elephant
(x) Eaten just cookies for dinner or cake
( ) Been on T.V.
( ) Steal any traffic signs
(x) Been in a car accident
() Donated blood
( ) Bailed out of Helicopter/Plane
( ) Went Curling
Mothers name? White
Favorite drink ? SONIC- Diet Dr Pepper with cherry syrup and extra cherry syrup! :)
Have Piercings? yes
Do you drive a 4-door vehicle? Yes
Favorite Number? 12
Favorite movie? ???
Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Having 2 or 3 more kiddos and enjoying family

Hope that answers them. That was fun! :)

Adam Riding the Carosel

I have been meaning to post this for a while. I just think it's hilarious! :)

A Winter Day with A & A

I took A LOT of pictures today. I was a tad bit bored. I am one of those people who really enjoys getting out of the house and it's just not doable every day in this weather so we decided to stay in today. Adelyn has been trying to use a spoon. She is so funny; she has actually started getting some food in her mouth.



I gave Annabelle an apple with nutela for lunch and after she was finished I gave the plate to Adelyn because I knew it would be funny and it was. :)





We spent some time with good ole watercolors today. This was Annabelle's first experience with paints. She liked it a whole lot. She couldn't grasp the concept of cleaning off her brush but I really didn't expect her to yet.


I gave Adelyn a crayon and a page to color while Annabelle was painting but I looked over and she was trying to spit out the part of the crayon she had eaten. haha. So, I gave her broccoli instead.






We have started this new thing where the girls wait for Adam to get home and look for him out the window. It's so cute. I had to take a picture of them waiting and watching today.




These pictures were my second attempt at a Valentine's card. Who knows what I'll do but I better get on it since I am leaving in a week and a half to go to Jen's wedding!!! To say I am pumped is an extreme understatement!


And this is the Adelyn face. I said on facebook that you gotta love all the snot. It's just that time of year! Adelyn makes this face all the time and we just crack up!


When Adam got home we ate our dinner and then Adam did Starfall with the girls. I am so proud of Annabelle; she is doing so well with her letters, colors, and numbers!

So, I have two funny stories I want to write to remember. One about each girl. First, Annabelle was walking around in her high heels tonight and I said, "Annabelle, you look so pretty in your high heels" and she said, "Momma, you're pretty." I said, "No you're pretty Annabelle" (like we do I love yous back and forth) and she said, "Momma, best friends" I said, "Me and you are best friends?" and she gave me the sweetest smile and said yes and we hugged. It was so precious!

Adelyn tonight got out of the bath and we came downstairs to read some books before she went to sleep and she went crazy over the Usborne Book "That's Not My Dolly." She kept talking and talking to it and she brought it to me to read it over and over again probably 20 times, no joke. I realized that the thing she loved most in the book was the teddy bear stuffed animal on one of the pages because she kept wanting to turn to that page and kept shaking her head yes to it. It was the cutest thing. I love it that I am starting to figure out her little personality and that she is a little spitfire.

Well, off to play Just Dance! I'm pumped!

Questions- Ask Away

I have seen that lots of bloggers have done a "Questions" post where anyone can ask them any kind of question and they will do their best to answer it.

I really don't know who all reads this blog but I think things like this are kind of fun so if you have anything you would like to know about me or my family e-mail me, comment, twitter, or facebook me and I will do a post soon that answers the questions. (Don't get me wrong, I don't think my life is like super exciting haha. I just wanted to try it.)

This should be fun! :) lol.

Two verses I read this morning that were really good and I want to implement them into my daily reading.

Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve. Joshua 24:15

Teach me your way, O Lord and I will walk in Your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. Psalm 86:11

It was a great Sunday. I can just tell it's going to be a great week; I'm already excited about it!!

Photo Shoot and Oatmeal Spill

Last year Annabelle and I made homemade valentines and I would love to do that again this year and so I attempted to have a photo shoot today to try to get a picture to put on the valentines. It was funny to say the least. I got out sprinkles, sour patch kids, chocolate, Dora, and Elmo in hopes of getting some smiles. I didn't get hardly any but hey, it was fun trying! hahaha!





This morning, Adelyn got the tub of oatmeal out and decided to spill it all over the floor.


Right when she did, the girls ran over to all the oatmeal on the floor and started grabbing handfuls of it and eating it like they were starving. It was hilarious! I seriously couldn't stop laughing.


They ate and ate until there were no more piles. I just couldn't stop them; it was too funny!


I guess you can tell there is not much to do in Ohio in the winter with a two year old and one year old...haha! What a day!!

Annabelle's High Heels

Annabelle got some hand-me-down high heels from a friend at church. I had been waiting to pull them out until I really needed them (if you know what I mean, moms of toddlers!) Anyway, so tonight I was trying on some dresses for Adam for a wedding I am in in February and Annabelle kept ooooing and ahhhhing over my heels so I decided to get hers out!


Oh and by the way, these are the pjs she is wearing tonight because she insisted on wearing a dress to bed. :) She is officially obsessed with these heels. She LOVES them and I love it that she does! I think it is the cutest thing ever. I always dreamed of having a little girly girl that liked all the things I like and now the Lord has given her to me!


I know it may seem silly, but these moments just make my heart smile. :)