Two year olds are So funny! Cam loves to wear the most ridiculous things!
Brendan had an engineering project this week. Taking apart a toaster and discovering how it works. He has yet to reassemble it. Maybe today.
This is the pizza we made last week. See the crust is not the usual texture. Bob's Red Mill GF Pizza Crust Mix
Thursday last week we went to the Omniplex. We LOVE this place.
The boys got to ride a simulator while we were there. They got to fly the Mercury Capsule! Such fun!
This lady was "Ground Control" and talked them through the ride. We got to watch their faces on one of the screens.
Here is the "capsule releasing from the rocket"
And afterwards...
Here's Brendan in the cockpit of an F16
Here's Brendan trying to lift Granny on the pulley chairs
Gears!
Granny & Cameron on the teeter-totter. Brendan & Granny got on it later. Very entertaining!
See Brendan way up at the top?
Brendan LOVES to ride the Segway
I finally got a picture of Brendan holding Taelyn. His nieces sure do love him! Even Cam got a little jealous, I think.
UPPERCASE LIVING
I have had 2 parties so far this year and both have been very successful. I have also had 1 catalog party and 2 pretty good personal orders! Yay!!!
I have another catalog party scheduled and two potential parties to schedule.
This year is starting out great!
Love Dare Finished!
Day 38 - Love fulfills dreams
Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart. ~Psalm 37:4
What is something your spouse would really, really love? And how often do you ask yourself that question?
Common sense tells us we can't give our wife or husband everything they might like. But perhaps you've let "no" become too quick a response. Love sometimes needs to be extravagant. To go all out.
God is our model.
It wasn't when you were behaving like an angel that God chose to pour out His love on you. It wasn't because you were so deserving that He offered you His grace.
God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. ~Romans 5:8
Dreams and desires come in all shapes and sizes. But love takes careful notice of each one.
*Love calls you to listen to what your mate is saying and hoping for
*Love calls you to remember the things that are unique to your relationship, the pleasures and enjoyments that bring a smile to the other's face
*Love calls you to give when it would be a lot more convenient to wait
*Love calls you to daydream about these opportunities so regularly that their desires become yours as well
Dare to think in terms of overwhelming your spouse with love. To surprise them by exceeding all their expectations with your kindness.
ASK YOURSELF WHAT YOUR MATE WOULD WANT IF IT WAS OBTAINABLE. COMMIT THIS TO PRAYER, AND START MAPPING OUT A PLAN FOR MEETING SOME (IF NOT ALL) OF THEIR DESIRES, TO WHATEVER LEVEL YOU POSSIBLY CAN.
God is able to make all grace about to you. ~2 Corinthians 9:8
Day 39 - Love endures
Love never fails. ~1 Corinthians 13:8
Of all the things love dares to do, this is the ultimate. Though threatened, it keeps pursuing. Though challenged, it keeps moving forward. Though mistreated and rejected, it refuses to give up.
Love never fails.
Never.
Only a few days ago you were Love Dared to build your marriage on the Word of God. That's because when all else fails, the truth of God will still be standing. The unchanging Word of God. No challenge or circumstance can occur that will ever put an expiration date on Him or His love. Therefore, your love - made of the same substance - bears the same, unchanging characteristics.
This is your chance to declare that no matter what imperfections exist - both in you and in your spouse - your love is greater still. No matter what they've done or how often they've done it, you choose to love them anyway. Though you've been far from steady in your treatment of them over the years, your days of being inconsistent in love are over. You accept this one man or woman as God's special gift to you, and you promise to love them until death.
Day 40 - Love is a covenant
Where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. ~Ruth 1:16
As you view your marriage relationship from this point on, we challenge you to consider it a covenant instead of a contract.
A contract is usually a written agreement based on distrust, outlining the conditions and consequences if broken.
A covenant is a verbal commitment based on trust, assuring someone that your promise is unconditional and good for life. It is spoken before God out of love for another.
God's Covenants:
Noah-promising never to destroy all flesh with a worldwide flood ~Genesis 9:12-17
Abraham-promising that an entire nation of descendants would come from his family line ~Genesis 17:1-8
Moses-declaring that the people of Israel would be God's permanent possession ~Exodus 19:3-6
David-promising that a ruler would sit on his throne for ever ~2 Samuel 7:7-16
Christ-ultimately, He made a "new covenant" by the blood of Christ, establishing an unending, unchanging legacy of forgiven sins and eternal life for those who believe in Him ~Hebrews 9:15
Never once has God broken any of these covenants.
And then there's marriage - the strongest covenant on earth between two people.
As you've read numerous times, keeping this covenant is not something you can do in your own strength. There's good reason why God was the One who initiated covenants with His people. He alone is able to fulfill the demands on His own promises. But the Spirit of God is within you by virtue of your faith in His Son and the grace bestowed upon you in salvation. That means you now can exercise your role as covenant keeper, no matter what may arise to challenge your faithfulness to it.
Here's Brendan trying to lift Granny on the pulley chairs
Gears!
Granny & Cameron on the teeter-totter. Brendan & Granny got on it later. Very entertaining!
See Brendan way up at the top?
Brendan LOVES to ride the Segway
I finally got a picture of Brendan holding Taelyn. His nieces sure do love him! Even Cam got a little jealous, I think.
GLUTEN
Well, I am bummed today. I have been SO VERY careful with Cameron and the items he eats. If I have any doubt, I haven't let him have it. I read labels, call companies, Margaret calls companies, I google companies...
But today, something made me read over his multi-vitamin. I know I've read the ingredients before. And, reading them again, they are all okay. Then I read through the nutritional value and I see: WHEAT SPROUTS!!! WHAT??!! You know, you got your vitamin A, vitamin C, Zinc, Potassium, and WHEAT SPROUTS?!
So, I called Rainbow Light and sure enough, they are not gluten free. So, Cameron HAS NOT been gluten free this WHOLE time!!! AGGHHH!!!
Test Kitchen Items
Chebe Bread Sticks
3 Stars
This is a small package of bread stick mix. It was pretty easy to make. The taste was good but the texture was not pleasing to me or Brendan. They were crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside. The package says "Slightly unusual. Unusually good."
Simply Organic Carrot Cake
5 Stars
I added cream cheese frosting to this and I had to hold the family back from eating all of it tonight! Well, Bren didn't finish his but really, I'm impressed he tried it. I don't think he's had carrot cake before! YUMMO!
Well, I am bummed today. I have been SO VERY careful with Cameron and the items he eats. If I have any doubt, I haven't let him have it. I read labels, call companies, Margaret calls companies, I google companies...
But today, something made me read over his multi-vitamin. I know I've read the ingredients before. And, reading them again, they are all okay. Then I read through the nutritional value and I see: WHEAT SPROUTS!!! WHAT??!! You know, you got your vitamin A, vitamin C, Zinc, Potassium, and WHEAT SPROUTS?!
So, I called Rainbow Light and sure enough, they are not gluten free. So, Cameron HAS NOT been gluten free this WHOLE time!!! AGGHHH!!!
Test Kitchen Items
Chebe Bread Sticks
3 Stars
This is a small package of bread stick mix. It was pretty easy to make. The taste was good but the texture was not pleasing to me or Brendan. They were crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside. The package says "Slightly unusual. Unusually good."
Simply Organic Carrot Cake
5 Stars
I added cream cheese frosting to this and I had to hold the family back from eating all of it tonight! Well, Bren didn't finish his but really, I'm impressed he tried it. I don't think he's had carrot cake before! YUMMO!
5 Stars
This stuff is amazing! So far I have made scones and biscuits with this mix AND I even added it to my Sausage Gravy and it turned out WONDERFUL! It has about 10 recipes on the back: pancakes, waffles, coffee cakes, biscuits, muffins and more. Everything I've made with it is SO yummy! Definitely a new staple in our pantry!
UPPERCASE LIVING
I have had 2 parties so far this year and both have been very successful. I have also had 1 catalog party and 2 pretty good personal orders! Yay!!!
I have another catalog party scheduled and two potential parties to schedule.
This year is starting out great!
Love Dare Finished!
Day 38 - Love fulfills dreams
Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart. ~Psalm 37:4
What is something your spouse would really, really love? And how often do you ask yourself that question?
Common sense tells us we can't give our wife or husband everything they might like. But perhaps you've let "no" become too quick a response. Love sometimes needs to be extravagant. To go all out.
God is our model.
It wasn't when you were behaving like an angel that God chose to pour out His love on you. It wasn't because you were so deserving that He offered you His grace.
God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. ~Romans 5:8
Dreams and desires come in all shapes and sizes. But love takes careful notice of each one.
*Love calls you to listen to what your mate is saying and hoping for
*Love calls you to remember the things that are unique to your relationship, the pleasures and enjoyments that bring a smile to the other's face
*Love calls you to give when it would be a lot more convenient to wait
*Love calls you to daydream about these opportunities so regularly that their desires become yours as well
Dare to think in terms of overwhelming your spouse with love. To surprise them by exceeding all their expectations with your kindness.
TODAY'S DARE
ASK YOURSELF WHAT YOUR MATE WOULD WANT IF IT WAS OBTAINABLE. COMMIT THIS TO PRAYER, AND START MAPPING OUT A PLAN FOR MEETING SOME (IF NOT ALL) OF THEIR DESIRES, TO WHATEVER LEVEL YOU POSSIBLY CAN.
God is able to make all grace about to you. ~2 Corinthians 9:8
Day 39 - Love endures
Love never fails. ~1 Corinthians 13:8
Of all the things love dares to do, this is the ultimate. Though threatened, it keeps pursuing. Though challenged, it keeps moving forward. Though mistreated and rejected, it refuses to give up.
Love never fails.
Never.
Only a few days ago you were Love Dared to build your marriage on the Word of God. That's because when all else fails, the truth of God will still be standing. The unchanging Word of God. No challenge or circumstance can occur that will ever put an expiration date on Him or His love. Therefore, your love - made of the same substance - bears the same, unchanging characteristics.
This is your chance to declare that no matter what imperfections exist - both in you and in your spouse - your love is greater still. No matter what they've done or how often they've done it, you choose to love them anyway. Though you've been far from steady in your treatment of them over the years, your days of being inconsistent in love are over. You accept this one man or woman as God's special gift to you, and you promise to love them until death.
TODAY'S DARE
SPEND TIME IN PERSONAL PRAYER, THEN WRITE A LETTER OF COMMITMENT AND RESOLVE TO YOUR SPOUSE. INCLUDE WHY YOU ARE COMMITTING TO THIS MARRIAGE UNTIL DEATH, AND THAT YOU HAVE PURPOSED TO LOVE THEM NO MATTER WHAT. LEAVE IT IN A PLACE THAT YOUR MATE WILL FIND IT.
He delights in unchanging love. ~Micah 7:18
He delights in unchanging love. ~Micah 7:18
Day 40 - Love is a covenant
Where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. ~Ruth 1:16
As you view your marriage relationship from this point on, we challenge you to consider it a covenant instead of a contract.
A contract is usually a written agreement based on distrust, outlining the conditions and consequences if broken.
A covenant is a verbal commitment based on trust, assuring someone that your promise is unconditional and good for life. It is spoken before God out of love for another.
God's Covenants:
Noah-promising never to destroy all flesh with a worldwide flood ~Genesis 9:12-17
Abraham-promising that an entire nation of descendants would come from his family line ~Genesis 17:1-8
Moses-declaring that the people of Israel would be God's permanent possession ~Exodus 19:3-6
David-promising that a ruler would sit on his throne for ever ~2 Samuel 7:7-16
Christ-ultimately, He made a "new covenant" by the blood of Christ, establishing an unending, unchanging legacy of forgiven sins and eternal life for those who believe in Him ~Hebrews 9:15
Never once has God broken any of these covenants.
And then there's marriage - the strongest covenant on earth between two people.
As you've read numerous times, keeping this covenant is not something you can do in your own strength. There's good reason why God was the One who initiated covenants with His people. He alone is able to fulfill the demands on His own promises. But the Spirit of God is within you by virtue of your faith in His Son and the grace bestowed upon you in salvation. That means you now can exercise your role as covenant keeper, no matter what may arise to challenge your faithfulness to it.
TODAY'S DARE
WRITE OUT A RENEWAL OF YOUR VOWS AND PLACE THEM IN YOUR HOME. PERHAPS, IF APPROPRIATE, YOU COULD MAKE ARRANGEMENTS TO FORMALLY RENEW YOUR WEDDING VOWS BEFORE A MINISTER AND WITH FAMILY PRESENT. MAKE IT A LIVING TESTAMENT TO THE VALUE OF MARRIAGE IN GOD'S EYES AND THE HIGH HONOR OF BEING ONE WITH YOUR MATE.
He has remembered His covenant forever. ~Psalm 105:8
He has remembered His covenant forever. ~Psalm 105:8
2 comments:
That's where you have been. I have been checking out your blog but nothing new. I am sorry to hear that Cameron's vitamins are not gluten free. You are doing a great job educating yourself, don't be so hard on yourself. It takes time to figure it all out. Keep up the investigating.
Love the pics. I don't know what it is about your boy and Walker.. they both love to dress in some of the craziest outfits. I love to box one. Keep the diaper one for his wedding day.
I'll have to check out UL and see what's new.
Glad you are back and blogging again.
you get me all messed up for commenting when you lump it all together...
pictures - adorable... I can relate to the crazy two-year old clothing combinations, the omni-plex looks so cool!
uppercase living - YAY! congrats to a good start!
gluten - i get what you mean about texture, that pizza crust did look different. have you found some other vitamins to use?
love dare - WOW!!! good stuff. I loved the one about 'love fulfills dreams' such a different way to think about things. good good stuff. I will continue to pray for you and your fam.
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