My Resolutions

2010 here we come! Last year I did a pretty good job at keeping up with my resolutions. The only problem was that none of them were "measurable" and I feel that since I can't measure them I must have failed. I plan on making at least 3 of my resolutions this year "measurable" so that I can feel differently at the end of 2010. So, here are my resolutions:
*Continue to build my Relationship with God and Jesus Christ
*Have patience with myself and my children everyday
*Pay off Lula Mae and the credit card and continue to work for financial freedom
*Find new ways to save money
*Stick to the budget!!!
*Be the best wife I can be for Charlie
*Learn to let people help me
*Take time out for me so I can be a better person

I hope that I will be able to hold up to these resolutions. I can't wait to enjoy this year with my beautiful family and wonderful friends!

Another Year Has Come And Gone

2009 has been a very eye opening year for me personally. Watching my daughter grow and change has been beyond amazing this year! She has gone from being a cute little baby to a smart little toddler. This year I went from being a mother of one to an expecting mother of one. I have gone from liking the thought that God will take care of us no matter what to KNOWING and truly BELIEVING that God is taking care of us no matter what! My spiritual life has grown the the most this year. I hope that this growth will continue each and every year of my life! Looking back at this year brings nothing but good thoughts to mind. It really has been a great year for Charlie, Lula Mae and I. I am very excited to see what 2010 will bring. It's going to bring us a son which is great! It is also going to bring us one step closer to financial freedom! We will be paying off 2 debts this year! Praise God! 2 debts! As amazing as those things are, this year will also bring us a deployment for Charlie. Even though the deployment is coming we are still positive about what God has in store of us! I pray that God brings everyone a wonderful new year!

My Christmas Gift

This year Charlie and I had a $50 budget for each other. We have found that giving each other a budget is the best way to keep ourselves in control around the holidays. We both like to get practical gifts rather than fancy things that will collect dust. Charlie got me something I have been wanting for a very long time... a steam mop! Yep, a mop! I have been using a Swiffer Sweeper for a long time and was so fed up with buying pads and solution. Not only was it a waste of money but it also was not a very green product. Well I have to say that my steam mop is my new favorite thing! It works GREAT! I can't believe that all it takes is about 8 ounces of water and you are ready to clean your floor! Plus, it didn't leave that sticky residue that the Swiffer would leave after cleaning. It has two machine washable pads that velcrow to the bottom of the mop. I love that I will never have to buy cleaning pads again! This mop will help me save money and the enviroment! Very exciting! I can safely say that my floor is the cleanest that it has ever been!

Lula Mae's New Word

Today Lula Mae read a new word... God! Amazing and beautiful! I love to see God working in my daughters life! She loves to "sing" the little song "God Made Me" that is on her bible CD. It brings joy to my heart when I think that I am teaching her to love God. I pray that she will continue to grow and love God and our Lord. I am so blessed to have such an amazing little girl! I adore her innocence and joy!

And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.
-Matthew 18:2-6

Laundry Detergent

Today I embarked on a money saving, environmentally friendly project that I have wanted to do for a while... I made my own laundry detergent! Yep! I am very excited about this project and can't wait to do some laundry tomorrow! It was so easy and inexpensive to make... and that thrills me! This is just one more step that will help Charlie and I get closer to our goal of being financial free! Praise God! I really encourage you to try this out and see if you like it! Anything is worth a try when it comes to saving money. If you don't like it you will only be out about $13.00 so you won't have a huge loss there. Okay, here is what you will need to get started:


*Cheese grater, a bar of Ivory soap, 100% sodium carbonate (NOT SODIUM BICARBONATE), borax and a food processor (not pictured)

Here is the recipe that I used:
*1 bar of soap
*1 cup sodium carbonate
*1 cup borax

Measure out the sodium carbonate and borax, mix together in bowl. Grate bar of soap and add to mixture. Put mixture into food processor and blend until soap is powder consistency. Store in an air tight container. Use 1 tablespoon for regular size loads or 2 tablespoons for larger, heavier soiled loads.

My Finished Product!

I made a double batch just to save myself the trouble of making it again in a few weeks. I love bulk! I love the smell of this detergent! It reminds me of being a little kid because we used nothing but Ivory soap growing up! The total cost per batch of this detergent is $2.50! Each batch should wash roughly 65 to 75 loads!

Here are a few things that you may want to know before you get started:

*The purple and white bottle above (sodium carbonate) is a substitute for Arm and Hammer Super Washer Soda. I was unable to find the actual Arm and Hammer brand but they are the exact same thing.
* I used Ivory soap because I love the smell, but here are some alternatives: Fels-Naptha, Zote, Kirks Hardwater Castile. Don't use heavily perfumed soaps.
*Washing Soda and Borax can usually be found on the laundry isle of many stores.

Santa Baby

Merry Christmas!
Love, Lula Mae Bell

Hate In The World

Do you ever wonder if God is pleased with how we as humans are acting towards each other? I do every single time I watch the news or see terrible headlines on the internet. It is amazing to me how much hate is in this world. Recently Michelle Duggar from TLC's "18 Kids and Counting" gave birth to their 19th child through an emergancy C-section. The little girl was born 3 months early due to a condition known as preeclampsia, which is high blood pressure in the mother, which can be dangerous to both mom and baby. The Duggar family is a great bunch of people and really do wish to glorify God in everything that they do. It amazes me how many people are judging this beautiful family just because they are different. There are people saying terrible things about this family when they should be praying for this tiny new life. This is a time when this family needs prayers and uplifting words, not negative thoughts and bashing things written about them. It tears me apart to think that instead of encouraging this family people are breaking them down. So many people are saying things like "Just because you can have 19 kids doesn't mean that you should"... what does that matter to them? The Duggars having more children does not change your life one bit so why are you concerned? If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all! This situation has really gotten to me, and I don't even know the Duggars! I may not know them, but they are Christians like I am and I will defend them in any way that I can! Writing on my blog may not do much, but at least it has been said. I will continue to pray for this family and I hope that you will too.

Lula Mae's New Stage

Well, Charlie and I have finally made it to that not-so-wonderful stage of parenting. We went to bed one night with a daughter who would eat anything and awoke the next morning with a daughter who wouldn't eat ANYTHING! If you are a parent of a child 18 months or older (roughly) you now exactly what I mean. Now when I say anything I am referring to anything healthy. I am an OCD mommy and really LOVED the baby food stage. I knew exactly what veggies and fruits she was eating and was thrilled with that. I do believe that in this new stage Lula Mae would live off of pancakes and bananas if we let her. Oh my! Well, I am doing something that I always said I would NEVER do as a parent... I am hiding veggies anywhere I can. I really dislike having to do this. I feel like when you hide the veggies kids don't learn that you have to eat veggies. Well, when my child went to bed hungry 3 nights in a row after refusing her veggies I knew I had to try another route. So here is what I have been doing to try and keep Lula Mae eating a balanced diet:

-Instead of apple juice or grape juice I dilute V8 Splash (8 oz a day) to give her a full serving of veggies and fruits (she actually loves this more than regulare juice and I feel like it is much better for her)
-I give her the Morningstar Farms chicken nuggets (vegiterian alternative) which somedays she loves and other days she won't touch
-I put pureed veggies in her pancake batter (yummy, I know)
-She loves the Gerber Graduates Pasta Pick-Ups (I try to buy the spinach ones mostly)

So far these are the only places I have been able to sneak things in. She won't eat mac-n-cheese or I would puree carrots to hide there too! She will still eat cheese, eggs, pretty much any fruit, avocado, and whole grain breads. I feel like she is still eating a balanced diet even without the baby food. I don't plan on hiding veggies forever, but for now I am fine with it!

Santa's Little Buddy

Even though this is Lula Mae's second Christmas, this is the first time she has met Santa! She was still too little last year to enjoy it really so we skipped it. Most small kids are terrified of Santa and we expected Lula Mae to be no different. I was fully prepared to get a picture of her screaming on his lap... well this is what we got instead!



She loved him! She does not seem to be afraid of many things, which worries me sometimes. I guess I am lucky to have a very friendly child!

Not So Traditional....

This brings back memories! No, it is not traditional at all... but it is still fun! Hope it makes you smile!

Saving Money

I feel like my job as a stay-at-home Mom is to work as hard as I can to save money. My husband works very hard to make money to support our family and I want it to go as far as it possibly can! I have to say that children do not really cost what people tell you they are going to... not around here at least. We don't shower her with new toys and new clothes like most families. We think that gift new toys are for birthdays and other special occasions. New clothes need to be purchased when a new season starts (or if they are outgrown or worn out for whatever reason). We have an 18 month old who can read, recognize her alphabet, is happy and healthy and is just a joy altogether... regardless of what "new" things she has. This is a big money saver for us! Another great money saver is my grocery strategy. I enjoy shopping at Aldi and seeing the money I can save there. That is not to say that every now and again I don't make a major shopping trip to Wal-Mart when we need certain things that can't be found at Aldi.

Typical 2 week trip at Wal-Mart: $130.00

Typical 2 week trip at Aldi: $90.00

It makes me very happy to save that $80.00 a month! When you save $80.00 on things like groceries you can put that money towards paying off debt! I can not wait to be "financially free"! We have a 7 year plan for our family. At the end of that 7 years we will be debt free (other than a mortgage)! What a blessing!!!

There are other small things I do to help our money stretch:
-clip coupons for name brand items that we use (baby wipes, razor blades, etc.)
-take out a certain amount of "out to eat" money and each month and once it's gone, it's gone
-watch our "joy riding" to conserve on gas
-play games and have friends over for games instead of going to a movie or something like that
-shop at Big Lots for bulk items
-make a budget and STICK TO IT
-write out all of our spending to track what type of spending we are doing (misc, necessity, grocery, etc.)

I enjoy sales, second hand shopping and any deals I can find! Saving money can be challenging, fun and rewarding! My goal is to teach my children these foundations so that they can lead a debt free life of their own someday!

Getting Through Today

When I said "My foot is slipping", your love, O Lord, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.

Psalm 94:18-19

High Expectations

I believe that if you expect great things, you will get great things! Especially when it comes to children. Charlie and I have been discussing our family a lot lately (possibly because in a few short months it will be growing). We are both very open about how we parent, and we really are in the same boat. I can't imagine trying to parent with someone who was not seeing eye to eye with me... that would be very tough, if not impossible! Charlie and I don't care if our children are rich or famous someday, or if they become the president, a doctor, a lawyer or a an ambassador! Our goal as parents isn't to pick their future for them. We feel that our job is much more important than that! God has a plan for our Children, just like He does for us! Charlie and I want to raise children who love God and want to do things for His glory. We want our children to have good values and beliefs that no one will ever make them question. We want our children to think of other people before they think of themselves. We want our children to be good listeners with open hearts and minds. We want our children to understand that family should be a top priority. We want our children to be true to themselves and others. We want our children to be kind, loving and generous. Sometimes I wonder if we want too much for our children. At the same time I truly believe that if we hold these high standards to our children, they will strive to meet them. Someday I hope to look at all of my children and feel as though we have done a good job for God. He has given us so much and I want to be able to feel as though we have given him something in return!

Parenting with God

God put me on this earth to be a Mommy, I know this with all of my heart! Charlie and I are so blessed to have a very sweet daughter. As sweet as she is, she can be quite a handful, just like any child can. There are days when I start to feel frustrated and I tell myself "MOMMY needs a time out... not Lula Mae". It is not her fault that I am frustrated, it is mine! Many times children misbehave and fuss because they don't know any other way to express themselves. How much would an adult misbehave and fuss if we were running around in another country asking for a drink and no one understood us? VERY! I have been trying very hard to parent the way that God would want me to, purely and for His glory! I can feel God telling me when I need to step back, take a breath and pray. I pray for His help in understanding what my daughter needs and patience with myself. I also pray that he will teach her patience as well (I truly don't think that patience can necessarily be "taught" like the ABC's or 123's). I don't want to be a parent that yells and spanks. I want my children to learn self control and obedience, but I don't want to scare it into them. God helps me each day to build Lula Mae into a wonderful child! He gives me strength and understanding! I am so blessed to be a Mommy! Charlie and I are very blessed to have God to help us parent!

Lula Mae's Second Christmas

We went to Davenports Tree farm again this year to pick out a tree, see the animals, and buy a new ornament for Lula Mae. This is going to be a family tradition I do believe! Eric and Heather have gone with us each time and we have really enjoyed it! And after the boys set up both of the trees, we have a hot dog supper!




And here is our tree! It just isn't quite the same when you have to put the ugly baby gate around it... but that is life with an 18 month old!



Lula Mae did not get to see the tree decorated until the next morning. She is very much in love with the tree! I love to hear her say "tree" and point to it and get excited! She is such a sweet girl! We have been teaching her about how God gave Baby Jesus to us as a gift. It is hard to teach certain things to an 18 month old! We aren't really sure how deep you should go into the story for her. We are sticking to the simple facts about the Christmas Story this year and perhaps next year we can add in some new things.

Santa Claus and Popcorn

You really just have to listen to this one! It is not a traditional song at all, but I love it. It is on my Christmas record that I love so much. It reminds me of being a kid and of my Mom. This song is a must in my house at Christmas time! Hope you like it too!

Being Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope everyone ate lots of yummy food and enjoyed lots of great family!

Today I am thankful for:

-The good health of my family

-God taking care of everything and providing for us in every way!

-The love that my husband and I have for each other and our beautiful daughter

-Time to spend with friend and family

-Being a Mother

-My husbands wonderful career that allows me to stay home

-The unconditional love my daughter shows me every day

-The wonderful relationship I have with God and my Savior, Jesus Christ


I think I could go on and on! I have so many things in my life to be thankful for! Thanksgiving is my husbands favorite holiday. He loves that we get to gather with family and eat great food without the pressure of "presents". He is a very humble man and I am very lucky to have him in my life!





With that said, our next holiday is obviously Christmas. Charlie and I started our traditions on our first Christmas together. We wake up and open stockings first. Then we cook (from scratch) pancakes, bacon and eggs with chocolate milk! Yummy! Then we gather around the tree and listen to my very favorite Christmas record (Christmas America) and open our gifts. We want our children to believe in Santa, but we have our own way of explaining Christmas to our growing family. In our eyes, and many others, Jesus was a gift from God to us and that is why we give gifts to our loved ones and friends. We do not want Christmas to be about the newest toys or hottest fashion. We want it to be about the birth of Jesus and it true meaning! Charlie and I want to raise a family that looks past the "watered down" version of Christmas. Yes, it is fun to get presents, but do kids need hundreds of dollars of toys to be happy? There are some who may, but they won't be living here. I have finished Lula Mae's Christmas shopping this year and spent a total of $56.00. She will be just as happy as the kids who open $300.00 worth of stuff! Christmas is such a beautiful time of year! I can't wait to enjoy the Christmas season with my family. I hope that everyone will try to focus on the true meaning of Christmas this year, and every year to follow!

What Will She Think Of The Baby?

I have to say that I am very nervous about how Lula Mae is going to react to her new sibling. Anytime we have some type of baby item out she insists that it is hers. I am sure we are going to witness quite a few fits when the baby gets here, but we are very prepared for that. A new baby is a huge change for a family, especially the children. We are going to pray very hard that Lula Mae will adjust well to her new brother or sister. We are trying to prepare her now, but there isn't much we really feel like we can do. I know she will be a great big sister!

Remembering To Pray

I pray several times a day. Sometimes it is for little things like patience and sometimes it is for big things like good health and safety for my family. I have to keep myself in check sometimes though. Do you ever feel like you pray only when things are not going great, or when people are hurt or sick? Why is it harder to pray when things are going so great in your life? I struggled with this for a very long time. On the day that my daughter was born my entire life changed. I started to really understand how and why I needed to change. I use to get "mad" at God for things that happened in my life. I tell myself that I need to be thankful to God for some of the bad things that happen in my life. Now I know that He has a plan and I have ultimate faith in Him. Now, I remind myself each day that I need to thank God for sending his Son to die on the cross for my sins. He made the ultimate sacrifice for us! I am very far from perfect and God knows that. I pray each day that I am raising my family in the way that God would want me to. I hope to teach my children to pray no matter how hard or easy life seems at the time. Prayer should not seem like a chore, it should be like a hobby. I am so thankful that God has helped me change! Now prayer is a hobby for me and I hope that for my children!

O Little Town Of Bethlehem

I have this Christmas CD and it is the most relaxing music! Her voice is beautiful and perfect for Christmas music! Enjoy!

Stress Level

I am not a stranger to stress... unfortunately. I am always reminding myself that I need to take one day at a time. Even though I feel very overwhelmed today I know that tomorrow is a new day! I know that God is taking care of me and my family. Things are not looking great right now, but we are still very blessed. I will keep praying and keep trusting.

Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning. -Lamentations 3:22-23

New Name

A lot has been going on in my life right now and I started feeling like my blog didn't convey what I wanted it to. I felt like "Destination Life" explains my attitude towards life a little bit better. Life is a very important destination. I spend too many days wondering "what will happen tomorrow, next week, next year?" "what will happen when I die?" Why not make life your destination? Enjoy life now, while you have it. I can't wait to meet my Savior, but I want my life to mean something first. I feel like if I focus on making life my destination it will be fuller. My goal is to fill my life with God and His word and His glory! By doing this I will understand all of the things I was so worried about before. My life is a journey and God is my compass!

Determination

I am determined not to let life get me down right now. Charlie and I just found out that the people who were going to buy our condo backed out. We were set to close on November 18th... so 8 days before closing they backed out. It is very hard news to process all at once. We know that this must not have been what God wanted for us. Even knowing that, it is still hard to process and understand. Now we are trying to figure out how to make our family of 3, soon to be family of 4, fit in our 1200 square foot condo. It is not going to be easy, but it can be done. I was really ready to have a house with a yard. I would love to have our families over for holidays and dinners, but right now we just don't have the space. I would love to have a big yard for my kids to play in. Someday I know it will happen. Right now, we just have to pick ourselves up off the floor and move on. We just have to pray that in God's perfect timing we will have a house. God is taking care of us in every way and nothing will make me forget that... no amount of bad news will shake my relationship with God. He is my strength. He is my all. He will help us heal from this rough time and make us stronger in the process. He is a very mighty God!

Christmas Music

I have to say that Christmas music is my FAVORITE music of all! I really could listen to it all year round. It brings joy to my heart! I love feeling the spirit of Christmas through the music. From now until January I will post a Christmas song for my "Lyrics That Mean Something" section. I hope all my Christmas picks bring joy to your heart too!

God's Reason For My Life

God created woman to be a companion to man and to give life to God. This beautiful face is why I am here on this earth. God picked Charlie and I to be parents to this precious child. We are raising her for Him, not for us. We are so blessed to have her! We pray that every decision we make for her is the right one. We want to please God with her life! I thank God each and every day for giving us this amazing gift!



This is what I gave Charlie while we were eating dinner in the Magic Kingdom in September. Yep, we are being blessed with another miracle in May! The funny thing is that my estimated due date is on Lula Mae's birthday (May 14th). I love my life as a Mom and am so glad that God picked us to raise another beautiful child. I hope that we can do a good job raising this baby for God too. It will be very sad for Charlie to leave right after the baby is born, but God will be there to guide me. God knows the plan he has for us! We are so excited to be parents again!

Trusting in Him

Charlie and I are going through a lot right now. The house is a big part of our stress these days. It seems to be slipping through our fingers with no end in sight. We know that God has a plan for us and we are trusting in Him. Why does it seem so hard to trust Him sometimes? Everything within me knows that if we trust we will be fine, but my brain just isn't catching on I guess. It seems to be a constant struggle for me.

We also have the constant thought of Charlie being deployed in May. I know that we can get through it, but it is still going to be very hard. I am so worried about how Lula Mae will react to the situation. How can I be strong without Charlie here? How can I raise a 2 year old and a newborn alone? The only way I will get through this is to trust in Him. He will be by my side everyday. He will be my strength.

I find myself having to force myself to say "I think I can" a lot these days. I feel very negative even though I know I need to be positive. I know that we will make it through this rough time. Good things come to those who wait!

Too Cute For Words

Sleep Walking

I have been a sleep walker since I can remember! Luckily it doesn't happen every night. It is such a weird feeling that I really don't know how to describe. While it is happening I can tell that I am asleep and that I am walking, but I can't make myself stop. Last night I woke up 3 times! Once in the kitchen, once in the bathroom and once in the closet. It is very strange to wake up and be standing up instead of laying down! I think I sleep walk more when I have things on my mind, but I am not positive. Sometimes Charlie notices and other times he has no clue! I wonder if Lula Mae is going to sleep walk as bad as I do? Needless to say, it was a strange night!

Lyrics That Mean Something

Little Angles

Lately

It is been busy around here! Lula Mae is really keeping me on my toes! She runs full speed for most of the day! I love seeing her change and grow! She is starting to recognize letters ( A, B, C, D, E, I, K, M, O, P, R, T, Z)! She is a sponge... soaking up all the knowledge she can! I look at her every day and thank God for having her in my life. Nothing is more joyful than watching watching my daughter learn!

My husband just got a promotion and I am so proud of him! God really does open doors for us when things start to look grim! We are so thankful for the career that Charlie has and we truly have been blessed! We try not to take all of these things for granted because we know how easily that can happen. I feel so blessed to be leading this life!

We are still trying to sell our condo and buy a house. Charlie and I have both reached a point where if it sells, great. If not, that's okay too. It took both of us a long time to let that go! We feel like God is in control now, and that's the only way it will be taken care of. We have prayed about it and now we have to let it go! It will all happen in God's timing!

My Struggle

All I can say is that I have been anxious. Anxious about life in general. I have been praying and praying for God to help me with this... although I feel like He wants me to deal with it in another way. I can feel Him leading me in a direction to help me cope with all this anxiety. I don't feel Him just taking the anxiety away, and that's okay. I don't want to be anxious... I know we should not be anxious... but yet I am anxious. Sometimes the lessons we have to learn just don't make since, and that's okay! I know I can make it through this with Him beside me. It may take longer than I want, but it will happen! Praise God!

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything be a prayer and a petition,
with thanksgiving, present your request to God.
Philippians 4:6 (NIV)

Lately

Our family vacation to Disney World was... AMAZING!!! Lula Mae had such a great time at Magic Kingdom! We got some really great pictures while we were there. I can't wait to take her to Disney World when she is about 3 or 4 and see her eyes light up even more! Also (Drum roll please!) Lula Mae is walking!!! Yes that's right, our 15 and a half month old is finally walking!!! Not only that but I COMPLETELY took her bottle away too!!! All the little pieces of her babyhood are slipping away from me... I am happy and sad at the same time. I am glad that she is a healthy, happy, normal child who is growing and learning... but I will miss her being a little baby. All I have left are her diapers and we are hoping to have those gone by Christmas. (We will see on that ;-) but I have my fingers crossed!) I looked through her baby book the other day and realized that there are only a few things left to fill out in it. We have written down EVERYTHING for her! I pray that someday she will appreciate all of her memories! Being a Mommy is the MOST rewarding job I have ever had! I am so happy with my life and pray that God keeps blessing me and my family each and every day!

Too Cute For Words

My Struggle

These days I have really been worried about lots of things that are completely out of my control. I am trying so hard to let go of these things... each time I take a few steps forward, I take 3 steps back! I am praying very hard to just let go! I know that God is providing for us and that I have nothing to worry about. How is it that I know that.... but still just can't let go? All I can do is pray!

So do not fear, for I am with you; Do not be disnmayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10

Lyrics That Mean Something

I love to hear this song! It makes me think about seeing my Granddaddy when I get to Heaven. I turn this song up really loud and sing it at the top of my lungs when it is on! Enjoy!

My Struggle

This week my biggest struggle is motivation! Typically this is not an issue for me... but this week it absolutley is! I know that Satan is trying to bring me down for some reason or another and I am fighting him tooth and nail! This lack of motivation is also causing me to be more negative than usual. Being positive is something that I really have to work hard on so this is a rough time for me. I feel like I need a break from everything. I am hopeful that when we get back from vacation I will be in much better spirits! I plan on wining this fight with Satan!

Even youths grow tired and weary...but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
Isaiah 40:30-31

Latley

Busy, busy, busy! That sums this week for me! I have been keeping a good friend of mines daughter and she is at a very needy age. Moms, you can remember how your 2 months old were I am sure. She just needs lots of interaction and love. Lula Mae seems to like the baby... but when I am holding or feeding the baby she gets a little bit jealous. So far I have been juggling the two kids very well, but each of them has good days and bad days. I love being able to help my friend out! God put me back in her life for a reason! It is so good to catch up with her!


We will soon be on the road again! In route to Disney World for another visit to The Happiest Place On Earth! I am not sure there is anyone else that really loves that place like I do! I am very excited for Lula Mae to ride all the rides again! She has such a good time! I love Disney World even more now that I see the smile that it puts on my daughters face! Charlie seems to have an amazing time too ;-)


An old friend of mine posted this video on Facebook and I knew right away that I wanted to post it on my Blog. It is a very powerful video and I hope that you will take the time to watch it!

Lyrics That Mean Something

This song gives me chills when I hear Rhonda Vincent sing it! Enjoy!

Fishers Of Men

Rise and follow me
I'll make you worthy
Rise and follow me
I'll make you fishers of men.

Rise and follow me
I'll make you worthy
Rise and follow me
I'll make you fishers of men.

Peter, John, and James
Could never be the same
After they heard him say
I'll make you fishers of men.

He said, Rise and follow me
I'll make you worthy
Rise and follow me
I'll make you fishers of men.
He said, Rise and follow me
I'll make you worthy
Rise and follow me
I'll make you fishers of men.

Cast your nets aside
and join the battle tide
He will be your guide
To make you fishers of men.

He said, Rise and follow me
I'll make you worthy
Rise and follow me
I'll make you fishers of men.
He said, Rise and follow me
I'll make you worthy
Rise and follow me
I'll make you fishers of men.

Jesus bore the cross
To gather in the lost
Oh what a might cost
To set us free from sin.

He said, Rise and follow me
I'll make you worthy
Rise and follow me
I'll make you fishers of men.
He said, Rise and follow me
I'll make you worthy
Rise and follow me
I'll make you fishers of men.

It Made Me Laugh

This note is posted right above the paper towels.....

Notice the note... and the empty roll of paper towels....
(This is at my eye level just so you are aware)

And THIS is Charlies eye level.....
Perhaps this is why the note did not work....

Growing Up So Fast!

It feels like we just brought Lula Mae home from the hospital, but it has already been 15 months since she was born. Where does time go? She has started to walk better and better now, even though she still isn't really "walking" quite yet. I'm sure in the next few weeks she will be walking all over the house! Oh my! Charlie can tell you that her teeth are quite sharp! She bite him pretty good the other day! Lula Mae is starting to talk better and better too. She has started to call for "ma ma" (finally!) and will call Charlie "Daddy" instead of "da da" which is really cute! She likes to ask you "whattayoudiong" (I put it all together because she says it all together!) but it is super cute! She is great at saying "No" and "toy" and "ball" and "dog" and "cat" and "hi". She really has a pretty big vocabulary for 15 months! Her first 2 word combination was "oh no" and it is so funny because she says it with such distress that you just have to laugh! Like something so bad has happend (when really she just dropped her toy)! She certainly keeps me entertained! I have the best job!

In other news....we are getting ready to go on vacation soon! Yes, another trip to Disney! With what may be coming in the future for us this may be the last trip for quite a while. I am really excited! We are going to go to Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure again on this trip too so that will be a blast! I am sure I will have lots of funny stories to tell when we return! We will also be traveling down to Tampa to see my Aunt MaryElla and Uncle Mario after Disney! This trip will be fun for lots of reasons! Right now I am drowing in lists! Trying to make packing less of a chore for this trip.... but when you have a one year old packing is a little bit over whelming! Especailly packing for a one year old who is very particualr and ODC like her mother! It will all be worth it when I see how excited Lula Mae will be to see Mickey and Minnie again! Such priceless memories!

My Struggle

I have the future weighing heavy on my mind these days. This is something that I know I shouldn't worry about, but again, my mind is getting in the way of my heart. Charlie and I are going to have some things coming up that will be challenging. They will be challenging mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. Luckily, Charlie and I have a very strong relationship and I know that together we can get through anything! I am blessed to have such an amazing husband! It is hard for me to wrap my mind around what is up ahead, but I am trying desperately. I get very frustrated with myself when I worry about things that I can't even change or control. This has been a problem I have had all of my life really. I am a very OCD person and I love to have control (anyone who know me well is quite aware of this). Well, sometimes we are not suppose to have control, and I am trying to grasp this concept. I have a lot to pray about right now concerning the future. I am hoping that with time and prayer I will trust God deeper and deeper with this.

Therefor do not worry about tomorrow,
for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matthew 6:34

I read this verse every morning. It helps me give God my worry. Why is it so easy to tell someone else "If it is meant to happen, its going to happen" and "You are just suppose to trust Him" and "Don't worry He will take care of you", but so hard to live by yourself? Again, this is just something I am trying to work on in myself.

Lyrics That Mean Something

This song is one of my Mom's favorites, and mine too. This song helps me to not worry about the future, and that is exactly what I need right now. I know that God is going to take care of everything and that I have nothing to worry about! Enjoy!

I Know Who Holds Tomorrow

I don't know about tomorrow,
I just live from day to day.
And I don't borrow from the sunshine
'Cause the skies might turn to grey.
And I don't worry about the future,
'Cause I know what Jesus said,
And today I'm gonna walk right beside Him
'Cause He's the one who knows what is ahead.
There are things about tomorrow
That I don't seem to understand
But I know who holds tomorrow
And I know who holds my hand.
And each step is getting brighter
As the golden stairs I climb.
And every burden is getting lighter
And all the clouds, their silver line.
And, I'll bet the sun it's always shining
And no tears will ever dim the eye
And the ending of the rainbow
Where the mountains, they touch the sky.
There are many things about tomorrow
I don't seem to understand
But I know who holds tomorrow
And I know who holds my hand.
Yes I know who holds my hand.

Want to hear this song?
http://www.rhapsody.com/leann-rimes/you-light-up-my-life/i-know-who-holds-tomorrow

Latley...

Things have been busy around here lately. A few days ago Charlie came home from a 3 week annual training at Ft. Stewart. It was a very, very long 3 weeks! Lula Mae and I missed him so much! I am glad to be able to say that Lula Mae waited until her Daddy got home to start walking! YAY! That's right! Our 15 month old is finally walking! Well, at this point she is toddling between the two of us, but this is big news for Lula Mae! She is also feeding herself with a spoon! It is quite messy, but she has to learn, right?!? Last but not least, Lula Mae is trying to use the potty! She will sit there as long as I make her at this point. Sometimes she goes, and sometimes she doesn't. I am not really "potty training" yet, but I figure letting her get to know the potty can't hurt anything! She is doing great with it though! I am so proud of her! Lula Mae is growing up so fast! I sure do love my life! my daughter is amazing! Oh, and my husband too ; ) God has blessed me more than I could ever have imagined possible!

Eating yougart with a spoon for the first time!






Sitting on the potty! (yes she has to have the TV for that too!)

My Current Struggle

I try to stay positive about life... but I am only human and I have lots of struggles! Sometimes it is something simple like having no idea what to cook for dinner. And then there are times when I struggle with much deeper things. Now that I have a blog I feel like I can finally get things off of my chest, out of my mind and in front of me. Once I look at my problems I can pray about them and work through them. Each week I will try to post what I have been struggling with lately. If it is something that you can help me pray about, I hope that you will! If it is something that you can leave a comment about, I hope you will!

I know that in my heart I am suppose to trust God in all things. Lately I have been finding this easier said than done. I know in my heart that I am suppose to trust... but my mind seems to be getting in the way! I feel like I need to give a lot of these problems to God (well, all of them really!) so that I can stop feeling so anxious all the time. Right now we are trying to sell our house and I think this is the root of my struggle. I know that God is going to take care of us! That is the most important thing! I am always saying "everything happens for a reason"but I feel like I very rarely listen to myself! Over the next week I am going to try very hard to let things be in Gods hands and just trust that things will happen exactly when and how they are suppose to happen! All I need to do is trust!

Lyrics That Mean Something

I love to listen to music for all kinds of reasons! I think one of the main reasons though is to find some type of comfort. Lyrics have helped me stay positive and get through so many things in my life. Each week I will try to post lyrics to a different song. Each song will have a special meaning to me and I hope that you enjoy reading them!

*This week I have chosen a song that I love to listen to all the time! It kinda goes along with why I named my blog "A Small Gate With A Narrow Road". My life has been amazing ever since I heard my calling from God! This song is so uplifting and I hope you enjoy it!
I Heard My Savior Calling Me

There was a great revival in our little country church
People came from miles around to hear about God's word
anointed in the spirit you could feel it in the air
My life was changed that night as I bowed my head in prayer

(Chorus)
I heard my Savior calling me
on that blessed night I fell down on my knees
Well I raised my hands to Jesus pure faith has set me free
Praise God I see the light my Saviors calling me

I'm so thankful for a Savior who would make the sacrifice
In a selfless loving gesture giving us eternal life
Yes an offer for the taking listen with an open heart
It's a choice that's up to you, hear the Savior calling too

(Chorus Repeats)

Praise God I see the light I heard my Savior calling me


Want to hear this song?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRYM9sr9MwU

What's In A Name?

The inspiration for my Blog title came from the Book of Matthew. Matthew 7:13-14 reads "Enter through a narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow is the road that leads to life, and only a few take it.". I feel like it took me many years to stop going through all the wide gates and broad roads out there. I was not on the path that God had for me all those years. I was on the path that people wanted me to follow. Finally I am on the path God has laid out for me! There are many people who I am sure still think that I am not doing things "right", but I know that I am.....FINALLY! As I sit here and write this and watch my daughter play, I know that I am where God wants me to be! I am sure that there will be many bumps on this narrow road, but I know that with God, my husband, my child, my friends and family, that I can make it!