She's a singing star!

My New Fav!

I absolutely love that Dole now has fruit cups with a 100% Juice option. I never was a fan of them much before and now I know why. Fruit in syrup is simply disgusting! I now like fruit cups and so does my family! And I can give them to Keeley guilt free knowing that I have given her the healthier option that fits my family lifestyle (I just can't get the balance right, fresh fruit either gets eaten too fast or goes bad).

what else do I need.....

to prove that the Packers are the greatest team on earth! They even have their own broadway show! Awesome!

One More :D

Guilt Free Coffee!

To all those coffee lovers out there, drink up! *with moderation of course ;) * Drinking coffee has been linked to lower rates of stroke, Type 2 diabetes, parkinsons....and if you add a source of calcium, ahem, milk (sorry non dairy creamer doesn't cut it) then you don't have to worry about the calcium loss associated with coffee because you put it back! And it is the same with decaf! Most exciting news I've heard all day! And yes I am drinking my coffee as I post this!

You know what this means?

That's right, I am offically a LPN! Whoo hoo!

Oh! ::sigh::

Nope not Catholic!

I know many are wondering why I am participating in Lent. Well it is really simple: For Christ. The reason I am doing this during "Lent" is because it is the time leading up to the biggest thing Jesus gave up for us, his life!

"Lent is the season for the experience of giving your life over - in each moment, bodily, deliberately, to Christ and to what the Spirit is showing you. God wants you to surrender yourself, and let the Spirit work in you. In Lent, we take responsibility for our acts and thoughts, and treat certain of those as the killers they are. Lent is self-discovery of the parts of ourselves we don't want to discover, through prayer, fasting, and other disciplines. It is the opening up, the turning over to God, the repenting of our sins, the turning away from that which does not please God. Yet there is just a glimpse of Easter through the heavy clouds of Good Friday - that Christ has taken the burden, and you don't have to carry it anymore."~http://www.spirithome.com/lent.html#lent

So I have given up Facebook, quite possibly the number one thing that distracts me from focusing on my relationship with Christ.

To the earth below ...

Could've come like a mighty storm
With all the strength of a hurricane
You could've come like a forest fire
With the power of Heaven in Your flame

But You came like a winter snow
Quiet and soft and slow
Falling from the sky in the night
To the earth below

You could've swept in like a tidal wave
Or an ocean to ravish our hearts
You could have come through like a roaring flood
To wipe away the things we've scarred

But You came like a winter snow, yes, You did
You were quiet, You were soft and slow
Falling from the sky in the night
To the earth below

Ooh no, Your voice wasn't in a bush burning
No, Your voice wasn't in a rushing wind
It was still, it was small, it was hidden

Oh, You came like a winter snow
Quiet and soft and slow
Falling from the sky in the night
To the earth below

Falling, oh yeah, to the earth below
You came falling from the sky in the night
To the earth below

Thank you Veterans!

IT IS THE SOLDIER

It is the Soldier, not the minister
Who has given us freedom of religion.

It is the Soldier, not the reporter
Who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the Soldier, not the poet
Who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the Soldier, not the campus organizer
Who has given us freedom to protest.

It is the Soldier, not the lawyer
Who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the Soldier, not the politician
Who has given us the right to vote.

It is the Soldier who salutes the flag,
Who serves beneath the flag,
And whose coffin is draped by the flag,
Who allows the protester to burn the flag.


AMEN!

Dancing in the Minefields!

Well I was 19 you were 21
The year we got engaged
Everyone said we were much to young
But we did it anyway
We got the rings for 40 each from a pawnshop down the road
We said our vows and took the leap now 15 years ago

We went dancing in the minefields
We went sailing in the storm
And it was harder than we dreamed
But I believe that’s what the promise was for

Well ‘I do’ are the two most famous last words
The beginning of the end
But to lose your life for another I’ve heard is a good place to begin
Cause the only way to find your life is to lay your own life down
And I believe it’s an easy price for the life that we have found

And we’re dancing in the minefields
We’re went sailing in the storm
And it was harder than we dreamed
But I believe that’s what the promise was for
That’s what the promise is for

So when I lose my way, find me
When I lose loves chains, bind me
At the end of all my faith
to the end of all my days
when I forget my name, remind me

Cause we bear the light of the son of man
So there’s nothing left to fear
So I’ll walk with you in the shadow lands
Till the shadows disappear
Cause he promised not to leave us
And his promises are true
So in the face of this chaos baby
I can dance with you

So lets go dancing in the minefields
Lets go sailing in the storms
Oh lets go dancing in the minefields
And kicking down the doors
Oh lets go dancing in the minefields
And sailing in the storms
Oh this is harder than we dreamed
But I believe that’s what the promise if for
That’s what the promise is for

I heard this song when it was first released, and I just love it! The words ring amazingly true about marriage. Dancing in the minefields. That is a perfect depiction of how hard a marriage is, how much work it takes to succeed. Having been able to walk along side some who have had struggles in their marriage, some quite recently, this song totally speaks to me. I have seen marriages fail, and I have been privileged to see some work together to succeed! Each experience has made me stronger my belief of the sanctity of marriage. Most know that I believe that all marriages can be saved. No matter how dire the situation may seem, I believe that there is no reason for anyone to divorce. I know some might disagree with me, but the bible also supports that. God says "I Hate Divorce" in Malachi 2:16. Yes, marriage is hard work and marriage is not perfect. But with hard work on both sides (some work harder than others) any marriage can prevail. Especially when we rely on God! I truly believe that with all my heart!

The House That Built Me

This is the house that I grew up in. My mom and uncle grew up there too. A couple of years ago my grandparents sold it to my uncle, and when the economy fell, the prison he worked at closed and he was transferred. Therefor it is now for sale. For me it is such a bittersweet thing. This is the house where all my moral grounding began. My grandparents taught me so much about life, love, and responsibility in that house. I mowed that yard every summer. I shoveled the walk and stacked wood in the basement every winter. I had slumber parties in that front bedroom where we watched Armageddon and ate whole cheesecakes. I came down the stairs in each prom dress feeling like a princess. I got caught having an impromptu beer party when my grandparents were out of town. I had my graduation party in that house. So many memories, and eventually it will be some other family making memories in that house.

1st haircut!

Keeley's first haircut! I just wanted to even it out, looks super cute!

On second thought....

Ok since I have this blog stalker, and I am way too busy to manually add everyone, I have decided to keep this blog public. So go ahead and read away crazy blog stalker!

Blog stalker!

Seems that I have a blog stalker. Kinda ironic being that I haven't posted in a while. So in turn I am setting my blog to private and only those that I invite can view my blog. If you would like to be one of those people and you have not recived an invite already send me your email!

Happy Veterans Day!

As I did last year, I am sharing my favorite poem for Veterans Day! Thank you all who have made the ultimate sacrifice so that I may post this here today!

IT IS THE SOLDIER

It is the Soldier, not the minister

Who has given us freedom of religion.

It is the Soldier, not the reporter

Who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the Soldier, not the poet

Who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the Soldier, not the campus organizer

Who has given us freedom to protest.

It is the Soldier, not the lawyer

Who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the Soldier, not the politician

Who has given us the right to vote.

It is the Soldier who salutes the flag,

Who serves beneath the flag,

And whose coffin is draped by the flag,

Who allows the protester to burn the flag.

AMEN!

Giveaway

My good friend Keren is giving away a set of bibs and a beautiful nursing cover to two lucky people. She does a wonderful job, and really has an eye for fabrics. See her blog {The Fenton Four} Good Luck!

Brownie Face

Keeley helped me make brownies for the Midwive's Back Sale at work. She thought licking the spoon was the best part! Only problem is that Keeley seems to have an allergy to eggs so she broke out around her mouth :( We had great fun though!!

Lil Pumpkin's

Keeley and her Cousin Chloe went to the Pumpkin Patch together today, it was Keeley's (and mommy's) first time. We had great fun! I love that they are so close in age and can share all these moments! And they so love each other! I can't wait for the many more good times to come!

Moving on to greener pastures!

I finally got my letter of acceptance into Bates Technicl College's LPN program today. It has been a long 3 year wait, along with a "mistake" -as the school puts it. I will start in Feburary and hopefully will graduate by December 2010. That will mean a bright new start for me in 2011!