Husband Encouragement!

I have been extremely busy the last two days! We are getting ready for an archery shoot and trying to find all the stuff to go and get packed and everything. But here goes making up for yesterday and for todays.

Yesterday! My husband is the greatest. After he went to real estate, he went by Wal Mart and picked up pizzas so I wouldnt have to cook last night...brought them home and put them in the oven and then we sat down and watched Star Trek! Wasnt that so sweet of him.... :)

Today, we have had a really really busy day! First thing though, he woke me up with kisses....then he took the girls and went to get rid of some scrap metal about 45 minutes away and just left me with Jason who was a little cranky but still peaceful enough for mom to get some quiet time...then when he came home, he went to Wal Mart with me so I wouldnt have to go with three kids in this heat and be all grouchy when I came home....we got through about lunch time and he decided to take me out to lunch! While we were there, we picked up some take out for his parents and took it by on our way home. (his mom (granny darlene) recently had a mild heart attack so we are trying to spoil them as much as possible....lol) Then tonight after he got all of his stuff done, he helped me with dishes and laundry so I could get everything done....

He is the greatest guy I know (besides my dads and our oldest son...lol) But isnt he just so sweet.....

I will be really busy the next few days but if the hotel's internet works, I will try to keep posted. This has helped me so much the last couple of days. I will try to post some positive things about my kids also. It seems if I look at everything in a positive light, it all goes better.

I came across a sticker today. It said "The Task ahead of you is never greater than the power behind you" (or something really really close) Talking about God. Nothing is greater than God and as long as we keep him on our side, it will be okay.

Gotta get in bed now we have an early morning .

Blessings and prayers to all
Crystal
PS THank you for the nice comments! They really keep me going.

Odds and Ends

First of All, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ROSE! My Niece. She is 7 today!

Next I want to share some links with you. I have probably shared some of them before but they are very inspiring to me and on days that have just not been going so well, well, they just help.

Kelli at There is No Place Like Home always has such beautiful things to show. Her garden and crafts are always inspiring to me. Makes me wish I had more time and was more creative.

The Art of Making a Home Joyful has very helpful post on working through day to day issues. She is so real and I cant help but relate to alot of things that happen in her days.

I am always enjoying new and exciting blogs that I stumble across, I may not always remember to bookmark them but I do like to read them.

I have been struggling here lately with my attitude. I have not been very Christlike or a very nice mommy at all. I have been snappy and grouchy and just overall really hateful. I have been doing alot of soul searching and have come to some conclusions. 1) I need to take more time to stop and listen to my kids. Actually hear what they are saying. 2) I need to work on my attitude because until I change mine, theirs isnt very likely to change either. 3) I need to be more positive in every aspect of my life. I just happen to go to Church with a very negative person. I tend to let this affect me and I shouldn't. I should be positive anyway. This one person should not make my entire week bad from one week to the next. There are plenty of positive people at Church. I need to gain from them. 4) I need to encourage my husband more. He is so loving and he deserves all the encouragement I can give him.

There have been more stuggles than just these but I am through focusing on them. I am going to focus on the positive. Like the fact that my daughters are being so thoughtful and caring today, and the fact that my little boy is no longer in his play pen (yeah thats positive...he was tearing it up!) He is now trying to potty train and yes it may take a while but he will get there and then woo hoo no more diapers....lol.

I am going to try to post one encouraging thought a day about my sweet dear hubby. (I may miss a day here and there but I will just post two thoughts the next day...) Todays's thought is the fact that he cleaned out my tub last night so I could soak in it because I had a very long day yesterday. And even though I didnt soak because something came up, the fact is it was the thought that counts. And Tonight, I get to soak...Lord Willing!

Please pray for my sister as she is nearing the end of her pregnancy! Your almost there Julie! I am so excited to see my new nephew.

Please pray for me that I may learn patience and be a more happy and cheerful mother to my kids.

Blessings
Crystal

Daddy

Today is my Daddy's 60th birthday. I always remember growing up we would tease Daddy about how old he was...cause he was just well you know old..lol. Now that I am older though and Daddy is 60, I look back and cherish those years and pray that I will have many more years to enjoy spending time with my him.

My sister wrote a post about her memories of our Dad. He is a very special man. He was always there for us when we needed a shoulder to cry on. He hated seeing us cry and hated when we got upset. He did discipline us when we needed it. I remember when we would do something that we werent supposed to, he would call us in the living room and ask us what we had done and then he would tell us to turn around and he would whip us with his belt...(not beat, never beat. just one swat with the belt.) then he would pull us in for a hug and tell us how much he hated to do that. He did not like to have to get on to us..it always made hime cry. I think he cried harder than we did.

I remember Daddy getting up so early so he could try to be the first one in the woods to get his truck loaded (he was a chip truck driver .....) because if he was the first one in, he would get more loads in which meant more money so we wouldn't go hungry. Rarely ever in the winter time, did he make it home before dark. But come spring and summer, he was usually home and played basketball with us for a couple of hours.

I remember riding on the tractor with him when I was little while he was brush hogging the pasture. Thinking I was everything because my daddy was the greatest. I remember going to feed cows with him and when I got old enough to take over that chore, he would come out and help me bust the bales of hay for them no matter how much he hurt.

I remember when I was in Junior high and high school, after he had to quit driving the truck, Julie played basketball and had to be at practice by 7 in the mornings. The school bus ran at 7 so daddy stayed home with me while mom took Julie to practice. I remember growing so close to Daddy during those years because he would always ask me before I left for school if I needed anything. And we always gave each other a hug and told each other we loved them.

I remember being able to call Daddy anytime we needed anything at school and he would drop whatever he was doing and bring whatever it was to us.

Me being the tomboy of the bunch, and the last girl, got to do alot of outside stuff with him. We went to team ropings, and rodeos, and hauled hay, and went to horse sales and cow sales. We had a lot of time to talk. But Daddy and I didnt talk much. Mostly, we just sat in silence and enjoyed being with each other. But when I did need to talk, he would talk. When I needed to cry, he would hold me.

I remember him telling me when I was crying over a guy(several times in my life) That they werent worth it. I didnt need to be crying over them because they werent worth it. I was better than that. That made me feel so good for my daddy to tell me that I was better than how they treated me.

I know that most important of all, was the feeling that no matter what we did in life, no matter how bad we messed up, we always knew that we could come back home to daddy (and momma) and they would welcome us with open arms and a loving heart. They never told us we couldnt come home. Kind of like our heavenly father, no matter how far away from him we go, he will always let us come back home to his open arms.

Julie thanked daddy for all the things he did for her in her life. I have alot of the same memories. Teaching us to play basketball, teaching us to play jacks...lol. letting us clean his truck on saturdays, taking us to Church on Sunday's, holding us when we hurt, teaching us to ride our bikes....and picking us up when we fell, killing the snake that decided it wanted to live under our tire swing....helping momma teach us how to grow a garden, teaching me how to ride a horse, letting me have to responsibility of the outside chores...to this day, I still love being outside more than in. Teachin me how to drive a four wheeler, and forgiving me when I put dents in it. Thank you Daddy for walking me down the aisle (finally..lol) and for being there when I had my babies. It meant alot just to know you were there. Thank you for being a friend to my husband, he really looks up to you for alot of things. Thank you for worrying about me when I didnt come home on time :) and for when I had to drive in the snow and ice to get to work. And for taking care of me when I was sick. Thank you for teaching me about God and for teaching me to pray.

I just cant say enough about him. But he knows that we love him, he knows that we appreciate all these things. I pray that I have many more years with him. I want my babies to enjoy their Poppy as much as I enjoyed my Daddy. We LOVE YOU POPPY and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

I wish i had a scanner, I would post some pictures of our dad and us. Oh well maybe another day.

How to use the Bible

I came across this the other day while looking through some old papers of my Grandpas. I read one of them last night and it was really helpful.

How to Use the Bible

When In Sorrow
Read John 14

When men fail you
Read Psalm 27
When you have sinned
Read Psalm 51
When you worry
Read Matthew 6:19-34
When you are in danger
Read Psalm 91
If you have the blues
Read Psalm 34
When God seems far away
Read Psalm 139
If you are discouraged
Read Isaiah 40
If you are lonely or fearful
Read Psalm 23
If you feel down and out
Read Romans 8:39
When you want courage for your task
Read Joshua1
When the world seems bigger than God
Read Psalm 90
When you want rest and peace
Read Matthew 11:25-30
When leaving home for labor or travel
Psalm 121:107:23-31
If you get bitter or critical
Read 1st Corinthians 13
If thinking of invesments and returns
Read Mark 10:17-31


I just thought this might help someone today. I love finding treasures in my Grandpas papers. I am going to take a blogging break this week. I have got several things that I need to get done and some stuff on my mind that I need to think about.

A prayer request:
Please pray for my sister Julie because her last couple of months of pregnancy are getting tougher. Please pray that she can find some comfort and that she will have a safe and healthy delivery when her time comes.

Many prayers and Blessings
Crystal

Menu and other things.

Our menu for this week is mostly just simple food that we can fix out of what we have in our pantry and freezer. I had $100 dollars to buy groceries and household stuff for two weeks and gas to go to Church and back on. But not looking at the negative, We are looking at the POSITIVE things about all this. We are not starving, we were and will be able to go to Church, we were able to be with our friends husband while she was in Surgery Friday, (which by the way, she came through great and her husband was able to get a weeks paid vacation to stay home and help her recover. We are praying for you Kristy. ) and we hae been pretty fortunate in that Paul did get to work an extra day last week so that will help on next weeks pay check.

So on to our menu.

Monday-- Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup/cornbread.

Tuesday--Hamburger Gravy w/toast Green beans and carrotts

Wednesday--Sausage, eggs, fried potatoes (This is Pauls night because I am having one side of wisdom teeth pulled wednesday morning.)
Thursday--Grilled Backstrap (yes off of a deer from last year!) loaded baked potatoes, salad.

Friday--Spaghetti
Saturday-- Leftovers and Grilled Cheese.
Sunday--Chefs Salad

We are also trying to not heat up our house to keep our electric bill down. It is tough but we are getting through it. I have been doing laundry all at night so I dont have to heat up the house with the dryer. (I will be getting a clothes line before summer is over...but in this humidity, it takes forever for clothes to dry.) We have been using the crockpot alot or having salads or something that we can grill or cooks really really quick. We are learning to like reheating foods in the microwave. I will cook something early in the morning or late at night while I am waiting on laundry and we will reheat it for supper. We are also doing all of our baking at night.

It isnt too bad though. It cools down in here about 6:00 to a comfortable level and we are able to start laundry and baking and the dishwasher.

A little explanation....we live in a double wide trailer in the middle of 1 acre that has absolutely no trees...no shade. So being a trailor, it isnt like most houses that have lots of insulation in the roof...It soaks up heat and makes it like a greenhouse in here in the middle of the day. Last year, we did okay, it stayed pretty cool in here....this year, I think our central air conditioning unit is going out because it just cant keep up. At about 2:30 everyday, it gets up to about 80 in here according to the thermostat. That is usually the time that we are all sitting around doing nothing. We may be reading or I may be doing some crochet or hand sewing. Then about 4:30, we get supper going and we eat by 5:30 so that we can do clean up and get laundry going and the kids can go outside to play when it is cool. We are doing good today though, it is 12:30 and it is only 73 in here so it may not hit 80 today. lol...

My plans for today include sewing curtains for my patio door in my dining room, I think if I get some curtains on them, it will help. And also if I get that done, I need to go through my material tote and see what kind of craft I can come up with for Kylie to do. She has been wanting to sew so we are going to start small.

This week is proving kinda busy and I just got a call from hubby. His boss may go on vacation next week so he may get to work all week...What a blessing. The Lord is taking very good care of us!

Many Blessings and Praises in His Name!
Crystal

Silence!

Shhhh.....do you hear it.....thats right silence! In my house for once. That is unusual. The three littles are napping and Jack is finishing school work for today. We had to go get groceries today so the nap time got postponed a little bit but that is okay.

For now, I am going to go switch laundry out, grab a fresh bottle of water (my second for today thank you) and attempt to finish reading "For the Childrens Sake" I have been really wanting to finish it this week.

Blessings
Crystal

Busy Busy Busy

It has been very busy around here lately. Paul was supposed to go down to two days a week last week on his job but the guy that he works with threw his back out and so Paul ended up working his usual four days last week. It was a blessing in a lot of ways but it threw our schedule we had worked out for Daddy being home two days way off. But that was okay....He was off for the Fourth and we had a wonderful time. Our car is about to wear out on us. It has things wrong with it that are not even worth the money to fix them. We have prayed and prayed and hoped that it last long enough to get us to the point that we could afford another one or till we could go to just one vehicle...which right now we cant really afford to drive our truck so Friday night, instead of going to a Fourth of July party, we went out and had a little date night (kids included but they were so good....) and we drove around looking at cars. We havent done that in forever. Usually, the kids go to sleep but they were too busy watching all the pretty fireworks in the city we were in. They had amazing fireworks displays. It was such a joy to get to hear the oos and awwes from the back seat.

Saturday, we had a very relaxing day. I got to get my house partially cleaned up and play in my garden.

Sunday, we had some visitors at Church.....I say visitors but they actually helped us start the Church there and had to move because of jobs. It was so nice to get to see Mick and Janice and Amanda. They are always a joy to see and visit with. I miss them so much. Mick gave a very good lesson...over being ready for God. If Jesus came back five minutes from now, would I be ready? Honestly, probably not. I have things on my heart right now that are not very nice and things that I need to work on...Not saying that I wouldnt go to heaven, but I would probably go with unfinished tasks. Something to think about and work on.

Our friends from Japan. Angela and her husband Justin and their kids Macie and Landyn left this Sunday to go back to Japan. They are moving to the states in August and have so many things to take care of before they move that they wanted to get back and get started. They made it back over safely and hopefully will be back Stateside by the last of August. It will be so good to have them back close again. We miss them so much. Please pray that they are able to get everything taken care of without any problems and that they make a safe journey back over when they come HOME this time.

Our friend Kristy goes in this Friday to have her partial hysterectomy. She is only having her uterus taking out if her ovaries are okay. As swollen as her uterus is and with the fibroids, they couldn't see her ovaries very well on the ultrasound so they will find out when they get in there. Please pray that she will have peace and comfort as she goes into this. She has come to accept that she has to have this done, it is just still very emotional for her. Just please cover her in your prayers.

My sister has posted on her blog that our other sister, the oldest one, and her husband need prayers right now. Please keep them and their children in your prayers. They have two 18 yr olds, one is fixing to go into college and doesnt need this stress right now, and the other is fixing to embark on the world of the working man and doesnt need the stress either. They also have a 14 yr old girl and a 7 yr old girl that need our prayers right now. They are only children and should not have to endure the trials of adulthood yet.

Please pray for my sister as she is in the last month of her pregnancy and is having problems with her legs swelling and hurting. Please pray that she can carry this baby to term and that it is born without any complications and that it is healthy.

I have got lots to do today. Bill paying and grocery buying and meal planning. It is going to be another busy week so we will see if I get back on here to post again.

Crystal

To my Mom and Dad

This post is to my mom and dad. They are great parents who have always tried their hardest to teach us right and to show us how much they love us. They have given us all the love they have all of our lives and it always showed. We always knew and know to this day that we have a safe haven to fall back on if we need to. They (and my inlaws) are the greatest parents I know and I hope that I am as great as these two sets of parents are.

The reason for this post is because 34 yrs ago today, my mom and dad welcomed a precious little girl into their lives that would wind everyone she met around her little finger and keep them there. She was their second child and was very loved by her older sister, who thought that she was just the greatest thing there was. They enjoyed every minute they had with her and still cherish those memories today. They didnt know that just four short years later she would be in heaven with Jesus. They lost her due to a tragic car accident in October of 1978.

Although my sister Julie and I never met this little girl, she has always stood out in our lives as a very special little girl. She had a purpose here on earth and she served it well. Alot of people have commented over the years about how it is sad that her life was so short. Its not sad at all to me. You see from all the stories I have heard, her life was lived to the fullest, she was a very outgoing, but shy little girl. She could make friends with anyone, but hid when Santa came around. In alot of the pictures we seen growing up, she was seen hiding behind a doorway or behind someones skirts. But yet, everyone that knew her or came across her has told of how sweet and loving she was. She was also very ownry. She had a little pin that she wore on her dress that said "The devil made me do it" . From what I have heard, it had to have been the devil because she couldnt have done it any other way. Just for instance, she once set the trash can on fire in mom and dads kitchen. She very innocently told mom how she done it, like she didnt see anything wrong with it. lol...I can imagine Alaina doing stuff like this. Actually, she has done stuff like this.

I know that my mom and dad have a tough time this time of year, and Iknow that My oldest sister always has a tough time with it. I know it has been tough over the years to join in the fourth of july festivities with her birthday right there with them and knowing the sadness in my mom and dad. But you know what, She would have wanted us to have fun.

So today, on what would have been her 34th birthday, I would like to say that I Love You to my mom and dad and my sisters. Sharon Louise, growing up as your sister has taught me the lesson to appreciate my kids and love them while I have them, because they may not be here tommorow...or ten minutes from now. But if they were gone tommorow, I would have all my memories....and I would know that I had appreciated them to the fullest. I wish I had gotten to know her but that was not in Gods wonderous plan. Instead, I have a three year old daughter that tons of people have told me especially here recently, that she acts just like Sharon did...and looks like her too. I always wanted to name my little girl Sharon if I ever had one. Instead, I have a little girl that is teaching me about love and patience all in the same life.

That deal with Sharon catching the trash on fire....Alaina has caught the trash on fire...only once...and she was utterly shocked at what she had done. And for you mom, what could I do but grab her and hug her...after I put the fire out of course. lol.

I love you mom and dad and thanks for being great parents.

ABC's

I found this on Mistys blog and decided to do it today. I have a migraine (stress related I'm sure) so I am taking it easy.

A is for age:27
B is for burger of choice:Bacon Cheeseburger with Mustard and everything but lettuce.
C is for what kind of car you drive: 2007 GMC Sierra 1500 Crew Cab
D is for your dog’s name: Elmer and Tinker Bell..and Red
E is for essential item you use everyday:Tooth Paste
F is for favorite TV show at the moment: Dont watch Tv but weve been watching the Star Trek series on DVD
G is for favorite game:To play - Basketball To Watch - Basketball
H is for Hometown: Somewhere in Oklahoma
I is for instruments you play:I used to play the piano.
Jis for favorite juice:Grape Juice
K is for whose butt you’d like to kick: Cancer...Especially Breast Cancer.
L is for last restaurant you ate at? CiCi's Pizza two weeks ago
M is for your favorite Muppet:don't have one
N is for Number of Piercing:2 (my ears even though they've grown up)
O is for overnight hospital stays: 3 (1 night when each of my kids was born)
P is for people you were with today:My kids
Q is for what you do with your quiet time:Read
R is for biggest regret:Not making more time for my friends
S is for status:SAHWM (Stay at home wife and mom)
T is for time you woke up today:6:00
U is for what you consider unique: ????
V is for vegetable you love:Okra Squash
W is for worst habit:I'm very moody
X is for x-rays you’ve had:None
Y is for yummy food you ate today: Root Beer Float
Z is for zodiac sign:Taurus

HAVE FUN!
Crystal

Remind Me, Dear Lord

This is a song that we sang at Church Camp and I fell in love with it.

Here are the words.


The things that I love and hold dear to my heart Are just borrowed, theyre not mine at all. Jesus only let me use them to brighten my life. So remind me, remind me dear lord.

Chorus---Roll back the curtain of memory now and then. Show me where you brought me from and where I could have been. Remember I'm human and humans forget. So remind me remind me dear Lord.

Nothing good have I done to deserve God's own Son; I'm not worthy of the scars in His hands yet he chose the road to Calvry to die in my stead; Why He loved me I can't understand.

Chorus.

I love this song....I have been singing it all over the house the past few days and it has helped so much.

Love and Prayers
Crystal