5.30.2012

Catching Up!

I am so sorry I have been in a "slump" lately with the blog- I feel like my time is not my own these days- I really am much more at peace when my schedule is peaceful...but I have a feeling it will be a whirlwind for the foreseeable future! I can't seem to catch up, thus delightfulmomstuff is suffering! However, I did want to check in today and tell you about this past week- I promise this won't turn into a blog of my life or a photo blog (I realize I am no photog)- we will return to fun products and kid ideas as soon as I am inspired :)! Here you go- Can you believe May is over?
{Let me introduce you to a slice of Heaven! We get to spend some time at my parents lake home at Table Rock Lake and it is just amazing!}
{S'mores are a must}

 {I have a picture of the girls in front of this sign for every year of their lives! We love the Blueberry farm!}
{Have you seen a 3 year-old pick blueberries in high heel flip flops? Well, now you have!}
{This is Izzy likes to be- driving with Pops!}
{The Diva coloring on the boat}

{Milly loved her first boat ride!}

MOVING ON.... Guess who is 6 months old today? This girl! 


{There is just something about #3, especially when you know it is your last biological child- it is AMAZING, she is AMAZING!!! they all are, but this one doesn't sass me....yet!}

FINALLY, I am so sad to say that my first nephew(dog) passed away today. Bentley was literally a part of our family- he was the best dog on the whole planet! We used to have 2 dogs and had to give them away when we moved for Dave to go to law school...I cried for 2 years, but having Bentley around made it okay- my brother and sister-in-law let us take him quite a bit and my girls literally thought he was their dog. Here is a tiny tribute to an amazing friend. If you have lost a dog or know someone who has- it is just rough- and you can never sympathise until you have lost one you love- a huge chunk of our hearts left with B today! 






RIP sweet Bentley! 



5.21.2012

Wrapping Up!

This time of year is all about wrapping things up...and I am so grateful for that! I am excited for the summer with a limited agenda and just time to hang out and play! Last week we had Ellie's Preschool Graduation and both girls had their dance recital. Here is a little play-by-play of last week! 

{Ellie's graduation- it took 3 people to get her to go up on stage...at this point it was not looking good for the recital in front of tons of people on a large stage....but she looked darling and loved singing with her friends!}
{the girls with their teacher Miss Marilyn}
{This is really what it is all about- hanging with our buddies!}
{I just love this picture! I am the mom-arazzi reflected in the mirror!}
{Preparing for the recital! (Izzy did not love the peach get up, but she worked it anyway!)}
{Milly slept on my dad's lap through the whole performance- so proud of my little dancers!}

AND.... THEY DID IT!!
{I know it is dark...but they both stood on stage and did every move! Whew!}






5.20.2012

Memory Verse for This Week!

I am a little behind on posting our weekly memory verse..sorry about that- we have been busy wrapping up all of our activities for the year!
This is the Scripture we are learning for this week:

Psalm 37:4,5
Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust in him and he will do this.


This was the verse for last week: 
Ephesians 2:8,9
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.

Have a great week! 

5.15.2012

Butterfly!

I just thought I would share this little video- I think it is so funny, I know we all think our children are funnier than anyone else does! Some of you have seen it- so I am sorry...but, I figured it might brighten someone's day! This video is in response to the butterfly garden the girls received- it was such a neat process to watch caterpillars turn into butterflies! I might also warn you that the one show we watch is The Voice- so she has picked up some moves! 


5.13.2012

Mother's Day!

 I am sneaking a post in to fill you in on our day and make sure I wish all of you a Happy Mother's Day! I figure, I can't have a blog called "delightful MOM stuff" and not acknowledge Mother's Day! We had a great LONG day, we drove to Wichita, KS (where I am originally from) and got to see some special friends and spend the morning with my Grandma and Aunt- a quick 24 hour turn around! It was great to see everyone! Here is a little picture tribute to my mom and her mom from this morning- I have the best mom, I am so blessed to have my mom as one of my best girlfriends. Mom, I love you tons and am so grateful for you, I count you as one of my biggest blessings! 

{Me and My Mom}
{My girls}
{Me, My Mom, My Girls, My Grandma and My Aunt Cheryl- 4 Generations!}
{They LOVE Grandma!}
{Milly loves Grandma!}
{Our little family!}
I am so blessed to be a mom, to have a great mom and to raise 3 future moms! There is NO job that is harder or more challenging and at the same time fun and wonderful...and there is no higher calling from our Heavenly Father to raise our children up! Bless all you moms out there- I am 100% sure we will never regret the investment of pouring time, energy and love into the lives of our children! 

5.11.2012

Thoughts on Raising Children from Purpose Driven Connection- 2

I posted the other day on Purpose Driven Connection and their recent series on Parenting- they just keep coming!!! These were too good not to share! Again, go to {LINK} to sign up.
"Correct your children while there is still hope; do not let them destroy themselves." (Proverbs 19:18 NCV)
We all need correction at times, because no one is perfect. If I don't discipline my kids, it means two things:
I'm willing to participate in their destruction. Proverbs 19:18 says, "Correct your children while there is still hope; do not let them destroy themselves" (NCV). If I don't take the time to correct my kids and teach them new habits and the right way to behave and think, I'm actually setting them up to fail and be destroyed. Even worse, refusing to take the time to discipline our children is evidence of a lack of love in our heart. We don't think of it that way. Sometimes we're just too tired to fight another battle. But that reveals that we're putting our needs ahead of our child's needs. We need to take the time to discipline our kids.
How can we correct them in a way without condemning them?
Don't correct in anger. Ephesians 6:4 says, "Don't keep on scolding and nagging your children, making them angry and resentful. Rather, bring them up with loving discipline, with suggestions and godly advice" (LB). When I'm frustrated and angry with my kids, it feels good to let out that frustration; that release is an instant solution. But it does nothing for the long-term problem, and it strains the relationship between my kids and me. Instead of disciplining in anger, back away, calm down, get yourself under control, then come back and deal with the problem.
Watch your words. Ephesians 4:29 says, "Do not use harmful words, but only helpful words, the kind that built up" (GN). Harmful words create hurtful memories. Those words that are spoken in anger and belittle our weaknesses and our faults and our failings are like knives in the heart. You don't want to leave harmful words in your family's memories. Instead, choose your words carefully, and speak in love.
A Parent's Prayer
Make this your prayer today and every day: "I will try to walk a blameless path, but how I need Your help especially in my own home, where I long to act as I should" (Psalm 101:2 LB).


"I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours." (John 17:9 NIV)
Jesus reflected the father heart of God when he prayed for the disciples. As a father or mother, you can pray that your children will focus on the five purposes of God.
God's five purposes for your children are the same as God's five purposes for your life. Jesus prayed for all five purposes in the lives of those he was leading: "I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours" (John 17:9 NIV).
We can pray that our children will live for Christ joyfully: "I pray these things while I'm still in the world so that they will have the same joy that I have" (John 17:13b GW).
We can pray that our children will grow strong spiritually: "I'm not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one" (John 17:15 NLT).
We can pray that our children will serve Christ effectively: "Make them ready for your service through your truth; your teaching is truth" (John 17:17 NCV).
We can pray that our children will experience fellowship personally: "My prayer is that they will be of one heart and mind, just as You and I are one, Father … and the world will believe You sent Me" (John 17:21 LB).
We can pray that our children will bring others to Christ regularly: "I pray not only for them, but also for those who will believe in Me because of their message" (John 17:20 TEV).
Talk About It
What are ways you can pray your children live for Christ? Grow strong? Serve Christ? Experience fellowship? Bring others to Christ?

"While I was with them, I kept them safe by the power of your name … I protected them ..." (John 17:12 TEV)
The mark of a spiritual leader is protection, so parents should protect the spiritual growth of their children. Jesus said, "While I was with them I kept them safe by the power of your name … I protected them" (John 17:12 TEV).
Jesus guarded the disciples' spiritual growth by protecting their minds. As a parent, it is your job to protect your children's innocence. This is a huge task in the culture we live in today. Children are not mini-adults, and we need to protect the innocence of our children as they're growing up. They cannot handle things like violence or sex. These things are heavy subjects for a little mind. 
When our three kids were growing up, Kay and I were very strict with what movies they could see, what TV programs they could watch, and what books and magazines they could read. We got all kinds of grief from our kids for it.
When they were little and could only see a G-rated movie, they would say, "We want to go see this PG movie!" When they got a little bit older, they would say, "We want to go see this PG-13 movie!" We'd say, "You can when you're older, but right now you're not going to see it." And they ruthlessly criticized: "Dad! Mom! You guys are so narrow-minded! You're the only parents in the entire universe who are not letting their kids see this movie!"
It is amazing to me how Christian parents let their kids, even teenagers, see all kinds of things they have no business seeing. We should care about their minds. My three kids have grown up and they are happy, well-adjusted kids. Why? Because when they were growing up, their minds weren't filled with garbage and vulgarities.
Your children will be exposed to that soon enough in life. They don't need it at a young age. You have to protect what goes into their mind.

"Nurture, guard, guide, and fold the flock of God that is your responsibility … Not domineering as arrogant, dictatorial, and overbearing persons ... but being examples, patterns, and models of Christian living ..." (1 Peter 5:2-3 AMP)
Jesus protected the disciples' spirits.
What does that mean for your children? You protect their dignity, their self-esteem, and their spirit. You realize the power of your words and that they can heal or hurt. 
We say, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." That's absolutely wrong! 
Words hurt more than sticks and stones. A child can break a leg or an arm, and it will heal, but some of you are still under a curse today because when you were growing up, your dad or mom said, "You're never going to amount to anything." And you're still trying to prove them wrong. You're still reacting to life instead of acting. 
As parents we must understand the power of our words to hurt or to heal. A parent can crush a daughter with one sentence — or build that daughter up. The same is true with sons. John Eldredge, in his book "Wild at Heart," says most men go through life reacting to what I often call "the father wound." Every boy, as he grows up, wants to have his manhood affirmed, and the most important person to affirm it is his dad.
If he doesn't get it there, he tries to get his manhood affirmed in dozens of other ways. He lives his entire life trying to compensate for something his dad never said: "You're OK, son. You're a man. You're all right. You're valuable." 
The Apostle Peter, though writing to pastors, gives advice that applies to all leaders, including moms and dads: "Nurture, guard, guide, and fold the flock of God that is your responsibility [that includes your kids] ... Not domineering as arrogant, dictatorial, and overbearing persons ... but being examples, patterns, and models of Christian living." 
"In the same way that you gave me a mission in the world, I give them a mission in the world." (John 17:18 MSG)
Jesus released the disciples to serve God's purposes.
As a parent, I am responsible to protect my kids as they're growing up, but that doesn't mean I protect them from taking risks for the glory of God. You can be so over-protective that you do not release your kids emotionally or maybe even physically to do what God wants them to. 
You say, "Sure, I want my kids to serve God, as long as they stay here in the area" or "Yeah, I want my kids to do what God wants them to do. They can follow his plan and purpose for their lives, as long as they live down the block. They can do whatever God says as long as they don't do something that's dangerous, where they could be hurt or killed."
It is natural as parents not to want your kids to be hurt. But let me ask you this very frank question: Are you willing to let God be God in your kids' lives? 
Or, are you still trying to be God in their lives? You have to let them go. I've seen some parents try to control their children's lives even after they are married; yet, the Bible teaches that for marriage, "a man leaves his father and mother and is united with his wife, and they become one" (Genesis 2:24 TEV).

The point is this: It is God's plan for children to leave and, as parents, we must teach them while we have them, but then let them go to serve God's purposes.
Jesus said, "In the same way you gave me a mission in the world, I give them a mission in the world" (John 17:18 MSG). The whole goal of parenting is to eventually release your children. From the moment they are born, you are preparing them to be released into the world, not to hold onto them or control their lives for the rest of your life.

5.09.2012

Starbucks!

Hello! I have a few things to mention regarding my recent Starbucks discoveries! As previously mentioned, I have a thing for Starbucks- if I could go there every day, I would (it is probably bad enough that my Starbucks crew and I know each other by name)! So here are a couple of my new discoveries!
1) The new Starbucks App, if you do not have the "gold card" you really should get one. You simply use/register your Starbucks gift card and when you order enough drinks, they will send you the gold card. The best news with the gold card is that you earn free drinks every 15 swipes. So...I now have my gold card registered on my Starbucks App so when I pull up they just scan my phone and I can see my balance, keep track of my drinks, check nutritional information (although, some things are better left unknown!), track my "stars", do a location search, etc.. It is a good, Free App!
2) It is not very often I venture out from my regular drinks- I mean...what if I don't like the new drink...Starbucks trip wasted! I was brave last week and wanted to try the Matcha Green Tea Latte- I love all of the benefits of Matcha Green Tea (you know I love green tea {LINK}) so I ventured outside of my box! I asked "Cindy" (my Starbucks friend) which one she liked, cold or hot and she suggested hot. I usually like my drinks cold but thought I should try it the best way first. Of course, sweet Cindy made both varieties for me to try and I can say this...it is an acquired taste! I is not my absolute favorite, but I will probably get the hot one occasionally and mix it into my line up- mainly for the health benefits. I get mine unsweet, so if you like sweet drinks, you might really like this one! I think I could get used to it if I apply myself! In case you don't know about Matcha, here is some fun info (as if Dr Oz saying he loves it is not enough!) Here is a link to the full info {LINK}


  • Is packed with antioxidantsincluding the powerful EGCg
  • Boosts metabolism and burns calories
  • Detoxifies effectively and naturally
  • Calms and relaxes
  • Enhances mood and aids in concentration
  • Provides vitamin C, selenium, chromium, zinc and magnesium
  • Fights against viruses and bacteria
  • Is rich in fiber
  • Lowers cholesterol and blood sugar
  • Does not raise insulin levels


5.07.2012

Recipe Monday: Salmon!


My friend Mindy is back with a yummy Salmon recipe! I have actually tried this before and it is AMAZING! Happy Monday! 

Easiest Ever Yummy Salmon
I swear by this recipe…and it’s only 2 ingredientsJ The marinade is kinda hard to find. Some grocery stores have it but Trader Joes doesn’t any more. When you find it, buy a big bottle, it is seriously the best marinade ever!
Ingredients
2 Salmon Fillets (no skin on either side)
1 Bottle SOY VAY Hoisin Garlic Marinade (you can do a search on the website to see where you can find it:http://www.soyvay.com/index.php?main_page=page&id=23&chapter=0#island)
Directions:
Turn your broiler on high and let it warm up for about 10 mins.
Dry the salmon with paper towels. Put on a plate and brush (or pour) on marinade generously. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Place salmon on cookie sheet and broil for 3-4 mins, turn it over (brush on more marinade) and let it cook for another 2 to 3 mins. The trick is to make sure it is close to the flame and let the marinade burn a bit so that it caramelizes and the fish gets a bit crispy. Do not fear if there is a bit of smoke! It should come out a little rare on the inside…if you think it is too pink, take it out and cover it with tin foil for 5 more mins, it will continue to cook.
I usually serve with brown rice and a green veggie like green beans or steamed Brussels sprouts. This recipe for braised green beans is a perfect side for it: http://upacreekwithoutapatl.blogspot.com/2006/09/braised-green-beans-with-soy-and.html

5.06.2012

Thoughts on Raising Children from Purpose Driven Connection

Purpose Driven Connection has had a great series on raising children this week, so I thought I would post them on here for you. I loved their parenting the Lord's Prayer series as well, you can read that {HERE}. Have a great week! Make sure to sign up for their emails- here is the {link}



"Whoever can be trusted with a little can also be trusted with a lot ... And if you cannot be trusted with things that belong to someone else, who will give you things of your own?" (Luke 16:10, 12 NCV)
Nothing brings out the best in a person like having someone believe in him and trust him with responsibility. Jesus pointed this out. He said the way we grow is by being given responsibility. Luke 16 says, "Whoever can be trusted with a little can also be trusted with a lot ... And if you cannot be trusted with things that belong to someone else, who will give you things of your own?" (v. 10, 12 NCV).
Wise leaders and parents understand this principle. People respond to responsibility. Kids respond to responsibility. We all need places where we are trusted, where we can grow, develop, and prove ourselves. The only way you can learn the life skill of responsibility is by being given the opportunity to show responsibility. 
Part of bringing out the best in your kids involves allowing them to fail. Our tendency is to protect our kids from failure; it's natural. We want to protect them from mistakes. We don't want them to feel bad. If they do fail, we want to bail them out quickly so they won't suffer. 
But what we're doing is preventing them from learning a valuable lesson. Everybody fails; nobody is good at everything. The key to this has nothing to do with not failing in life; it's learning how to rebound from a failure. When you don't give kids the opportunity to fail, you are saying to them, "You're not competent, and I don't trust you. You can't handle it, so I'm going to do it for you." That approach keeps kids dependent upon their parents.
The Bible says this in Galatians 6:5: "We are each responsible for our own conduct" (NLT). When your kids fail, don't let them blame anybody else. Why? Because we must all learn that we are responsible for our own actions. That is a desperately needed truth today, because we're living in a nation of victims. Everybody is a victim! It's all somebody else's fault! But the Bible says we're each responsible for our own conduct. We're far better off trusting our kids too much than we are trusting them too little.

"The same God produces every gift in every person." (1 Corinthians 12:6b GW)
Every child in your family is different and unique. Even twins are not alike. As a parent, you have to recognize and value each child's individuality.
1 Corinthians 12:6 says, "The same God produces every gift in every person" (GW). God made everyone different because otherwise the world would be incredibly boring. There would also be a lot of work that wouldn't get done. If we all liked the same thing, there would be a lot of things that nobody liked to do, and they just wouldn't get done.
How can you tell when you've accepted your kid's uniqueness? It's simple: You stop insisting that they be like you. God made us in his image, and now, as parents, we want to make our kids in our image. So we say either overtly or covertly, "You need to be like me. You need to think like I think. You need to like the things I like.
The things I was good at in school, you should be good at in school." The message comes through loud and clear to the kids: "You can't be yourself. The only way to get love, acceptance, or approval is to be like Mom and Dad."
Kids are not things to be molded; they're people to be unfolded. Your goal in life should not be to mold your kids in your image. Your goal in life should be to help them discover who God made them to be.
God sovereignly chose to make your kids the way they are. He wired them in a way that you had nothing to do with. When your child is acting in a way that is so foreign to you that you want to say, "What planet did you come from?" you need to trust God's wisdom and realize that he knew exactly what your child needed and exactly what you needed, and he put the two of you together in a family for his unique purpose.


Point Your Kids to God
by Rick Warren
"Knowing God results in every other kind of understanding." (Proverbs 9:10 TLB)
The most important lesson that we teach our kids is knowing and loving God.
You don't have all the answers. If you haven't figured that out yet, you will. You don't have all the answers for the questions your kids are going to ask. I don't mean things like, "Why is the sky blue?" or "Why do dogs bark?" — for which you make up answers to satisfy them for awhile. As they get older, they ask questions like, "Why did God make me this way?" or "If God is loving and in control of everything, why did he allow Grandma to die?" Questions like that are very tough to answer, and my reservoir of answers is very small. But it's my job as a parent to point my kids to a God who does have all the answers.
You can sit down and tell your kids things about God, and that has some effect. But if you want to be even more effective, you have to be a role model. The best way to teach your kids is by modeling for them the truths you want them to understand.
Sometimes parents make the mistake by hiding from their kids the struggles that they're facing, because they want to protect them. But in certain situations, sharing with our kids the things that are going on in our lives helps them see how to get through those struggles. When you're experiencing financial difficulties, how better to teach your kids to have faith in God than by constantly expressing to them, "Yeah, it's tough right now, but we have a God who is faithful to us, and he'll provide for us"? If they don't see our trust in God and his deliverance in our lives, why should they rely on him?
Proverbs 9:10 says, "Knowing God results in every other kind of understanding" (TLB). Knowing God is the foundation of life. Many parents who are not even Christians talk about God — but that's not enough. We need to point our kids to Jesus Christ, their Savior, by modeling for them every day what we know to be true about God and his Son.
"Your children are a gift from God." (Psalm 127:3 TLB)
God intends families to be a haven for happiness and fun — a place to party, kick back, relax, and have a good time.
It is true that the family that prays together, stays together. Also, the family that playstogether, stays together.
Your children are gifts from God, meant to be enjoyed, not just endured. A lot of parents endure their kids; they don't enjoy them. The Bible says in Deuteronomy 16, “Celebrate with your whole family.” Party down! Have a good time. If you wait until all your problems are gone to start enjoying life, you'll never enjoy life.
When my kids were young, they were never impressed with what adults are impressed by in my life. What they wanted to know is, "Is Daddy fun?" So I intentionally worked hard on this one. I used to “kidnap” my kids from school in the middle of the day to go do something fun. They're not going to remember all my sermons, but they're going to remember whether or not Dad was fun.
If your home isn't fun while your kids are growing up, don't be surprised if they don't come back often when they're grown. Why should they? 
"Reverence for God gives a man deep strength; his children have a place of refuge and security." (Proverbs 14:26 TLB)
Life is full of storms that batter us, bruise us, and beat us up. Life is very tough, and we all need a place of safety, security, peace, and protection. God has planned that our homes be that place.
There are all kinds of storms that come into our lives, but here are three every one of us will experience:
  • Change. From day to day, relationships change, jobs change, our health changes, where we live changes. Studies tell us that too much of any change — positive or negative — is stressful. So we need a place of security and support, where we know everything is going to be the same.
  • Failure. Nobody wins all the time. Sometimes you get passed by for the promotion, you don't make the team, or you fail the test. And it hurts. But failure is more bearable if you're coming home to hugs, if you know that when you get home, you're going to be encouraged.
  • Rejection. Everyone knows what it's like to feel criticized, pushed away, or not allowed to be part of the "in" crowd. A lot of that starts on the playground, where kids can be mean, laughing at the flaws of others and making fun of those who seem different. Coming home to acceptance and love helps children through the storms.
How do you build a home that can be a shelter in a storm?
Hear. Listen to the people in your family. Don't be too quick to come up with a solution before they even get the words out of their mouths. Sometimes they just need to vent or tell you how they feel.
Hug. Express affection. Do the things that say "I love you."
Hope. Build up the people in your family with affirmation. Make sure you're giving good input to balance all the negative they hear outside your home.
Help. Make sure that you do whatever it takes to get help when your family is going through a tough time. Unhealthy families ignore their problems or they say, "We can make it without help. We don't need anyone else's input. We're not talking to anybody about this. We can handle it" — or worse, they say, "What problem?" Healthy families are willing to look at themselves realistically and say, "We're having a tough time right now, and we need some help."
You may not be able to protect your children from the storms of life, but you can help protect them in the storms of life by making your home a place of security and support.
"And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men." (Luke 2:52 NIV)
The Bible says that one of the goals for parenting is to prepare your kids for life. God intends the family to be a learning center for life. You learn things in your family that you don't learn anywhere else. I remember when my youngest taught me how to burp and sneeze at the same time — a very cool thing! I don't know if I'll ever use it anywhere, but it's a great spiritual experience to be able to do that.
You learn life's basic skills in the family, like how to walk, talk, eat, and use a TV remote. God says we are to prepare our kids for life. 
The Bible says this about Jesus in Luke 2:52: "Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men" (NIV). This verse says there are four ways Jesus grew, and these are the same four ways you, as a parent, have to help your children grow. 
The Bible says:
  • Jesus grew in wisdom — that's mental or intellectual growth.
  • Jesus grew in stature — that's physical growth.
  • Jesus grew in favor with God — that's spiritual growth.
  • Jesus grew in favor with men — that's social growth.
Those should be the goals you have in your family for each of your children, which focus on balanced growth: mental, physical, spiritual, and social. The Bible is very clear that the primary responsibility of raising children and helping them be prepared for life belongs to the parents.
The moment you took part in a conception you got a job description; raising your children well is your responsibility. Help your children grow strong mentally, physically, spiritually, and socially.
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