Chic Fil A

We went to Chic Fil A to play this week. I love their playground because it is always clean and it is easy to watch the kids in the contained area. While we were there one of the workers gave us a coupon to get a free ice cream! Logan said, "Mommy, Jesus gave us ice cream!" God is good!

Marriage Monday

The marriage tips for this week are:

9. Learn eachother's Love Language. Some people feel more loved by acts of service, some by receiving gifts, some by words of affirmation, some by physical touch, and some from spending quality time. If your spouse's Love Language is quality time and you have been pulling doube shifts at work to buy them a big present, then you are aiming for the wrong target.

10 A healthy argument, based on love and trust in your marriage, is beneficial. However, it is important to fight for your relationship and not just to win or
make your point.

11. Compliment and affirm your spouse.

12. Make Time for Being Alone Together

13. It is important that both of you try to make your life together enjoyable. Think about things you can do to enhance the joy in your relationship.

14. Yearn for a great marriage, not just a good one.

15. Count how many times you criticize your spouse today. For every negative comment, try to tell them three positive ones.

Kid's Club

Today was the first day of Kid's Club for this year. They haven't had it for over a month so the kids were really excited to go today. They were both glued to the show and Logan really wanted to get picked to go up on the stage today. After the show we went to check out the new play area in the mall. It is nice, but it is way smaller than the other one and the old one was crowded enough. I don't know why they would make a smaller one? Logan really liked the garbage truck at the new one and Aila really liked the little house. When we had enough playtime we headed upstairs to ride the carousel. Of course Logan picked this gigantic dinosaur to ride on. You should have seen me trying to lift him up there while still keeping an eye on Aila. We survived though and stopped by the puppies before heading home.

Hiking Usary Mountain

We went hiking last week with my cousins Diane and Marisa. The weather was absolutely gorgeous. Logan was moving as slow as molases but we made it halfway up. After our hike all came back to our house and Doug made french bread pizzas. They were so yummy!

Thankful Thursday

Today I am thankful for my Prince Charming, aka Doug. He is the most honest, hard working man I have ever met. He works hard at a job he doesn't really like in order to provide for our family. His greatest desire is to be back in full time ministry and though no door has been opened yet, he remains optimistic. He puts his heart and soul into everything he does and he can make anyone feel welcome. He is a visionary who is always comming up with new ideas. He has a true servant's heart and is always willing to help people. He is the best husband and father ever! There is not a day that goes by that I don't feel blessed to be his wife.

Tragedy

My friend's father was just killed in a car accident. Also, about a week ago my father was taken by ambulance to the hospital because they thought he might be having a stroke. It's times like these that make me realize how temporary our lives on this earth are. I am comforted to know that there is an even better life after this one. If today were your last day to live, how would you live it? And if you were to die, do you know if you are going to Heaven? Just something to ponder...

MATTHEW 25:46 "And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
JOHN 14:6 “I am the way the truth and the life; NO MAN cometh unto the Father BUT BY ME.” — Jesus Christ

Please keep my friend and her family in your prayers in their time of grief.
Man Dies After Rear End Collision in Gilbert

Marriage Monday

As I shared in my prayer for the new year, I feel a huge burden for struggling and broken marriages. One of the things that I am trying to do is post a daily "Marriage Tip of the Day" on my facebook to encourage friends and family to reflect on their own marriages. I am trying to post one for every day this year. I will be posting them weekly on this blog on Mondays and calling it "Marriage Monday" These are the ones I have posted so far:

1. Relaize that true love is NOT a feeling. It is a CHOICE! You must choose daily to love your spouse more than yourself. It may not always be easy but all great things require work sometimes!

2. Never go to bed fighting! Don’t let the sun go down on your anger. (Eph 4:26)

3. Don’t deprive each other physically (1 Corinthians 7:1-5)

4. Wives submit to your husbands and husbands lead out of love. (Ephesians 5:22-33 and Colossians 3:18-19)

5. Yearn for a Great Marriage, Not Just a Good One

6. Wives don't constantly pick fights with your hubbies! Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife. (Prov 25:24)

7. Marriages require boundaries. One that we try to abide by is not hanging out with the opposite sex alone. It can bring temptation, mistrust, rumors, and accusations.

8. Always put your spouse's needs before your own. Be self sacrificing and always give 100%.

Zoo Trip

I took the kids to the zoo today. The weather was absolutely amazing. I love the Arizona winters! Logan's favorite animal of the day was the peacock that came right up to him and Aila's was the baboon as usual. One baboon in particular has taken quite a liking to Aila. The last time we were there the baboon was copying everything Aila did. Today the same baboon was trying to feed Aila pine cones through the glass. One of the zookeepers saw this today and could not get over it. She informed us that the baboon's name is Clarabell.

Logan and Lipstick!!!

So I am changing Aila's diaper when I notice Logan has disappeared...which is never a good thing...so I call for him to come and he comes running down the hall from my bedroom: a. buck naked and b. covered from head to toe in my lipstick!!! What a nightmare! That stuff is not easy to get off! The lipstick company could use Logan as a spokemodel for how longlasting their product is because his tummy is still has a brownish tint to it!

Blog Goodies! Awesome Tools and Widgets!

You would not believe how many things there are out there that you can add to your blog. If I wanted to I could have a different picture of fish each day, a yo mamma joke every day or a virtual waterfall!!!

Here are some of my favorite sites for adding stuff to my blog:

The Cutest Blog on the Block - This site has lots of free backgrounds that you can use. It is also where I learned how to make my own backgrounds.

Paint.Net - This is the program I use to make all my blog backgrounds. You could use photoshop too.

Feedjit.com - A tool that you can put on your blog so that you can see who visits from where each day.

Tickers - Make a ticker that counts down to an event or displays how long you have done something.

Hit Counters - See how many hits your site gets a day!

Word of the Day - Get a daily Word of the Day on your site.

Daily Bible Verse - Get a daily Bible Verse

Stick Figure Family - Make a stick figure image of your family

Playlist.com - Make your own music playlist

Poll Creator - Make your own poll or survey for your site

Site Translator - This tool will translate your site into whatever language the reader chooses!

Doodle Sketch - People who visit your site can make their own pictures on a virtual magnadoodle

Prayer for the New Year

The Lord put it on my heart to share with you my prayer for this New Year. I feel silly writing it on here, but I am sure that is just the devil at work. So here it is...

Dear Heavenly Father,

I am so glad that I get to be your daughter! Thank you for all the blessings you have given me! I am so grateful for my husband and children. Thank You for keeping us healthy and always taking care of us. You are so awesome! I can't help but be amazed at Your power or overwhelmed by Your love.

This year I feel such a burden for all the people who are suffering from depression. People really seem to be struggling and many have lost their jobs. I ask that You would be with them in their time of need. Send them Your spirit of comfort. Let them know that they are not alone. Heal their brokeness. I pray that their struggles will draw them closer to You and that You would fill them with a new hope.

My heart also breaks for all the marriages I have seen dissolve this past year and for the couples who are currently struggling. Please help me Lord, when friends and family ask for relationship advice. Give me the words to say that will lead them in the right direction. Help those who are in pain from losing their spouse and bring conviction to those who left. For the couples who are struggling, help heal their emotional wounds and draw them closer together. May they all learn to lean on You.

I pray for Doug. His greatest desire is to please You. I know that You have the perfect ministry job for him. Help guide him in the right direction and open the doors to the path you want him to take. Protect him from disappointment. Place Your favor on him.

I ask that you would make me into whatever you see fit. Help me to be a good wife and mother. Guide me in how to raise my children. Mold me into a tool that you can use. Give me a heart for all people and help me learn to be more patient.

I look foward to all the works You are going to do this year. I praise Your holy name! Thank You for this life You have given me.

I ask all these things in Your precious name,
AMEN!

Thankful Thrusday

I am so thankful for the way the Lord takes care of our family! He provides for all of our needs and then some!!! In the last month these are some of the ways God provided for us:

1. My sister-in-law and my cousin cleaned out their closets and as a result I now have a whole new wardrobe!!! It is such a blessing, especially since most of my clothes are still from Junior High (I am grateful that they still fit but they definitely don't look like grown up clothes!)

2. Doug's brother and wife gave us a bunch of stuff when they moved, including lots of clothes for Aila!!!

3. We took my dad out to eat and when we went to pay the bill the waitress informed us that it had already been paid by an anonymous elderly couple!

4. We had expensive doctors bills for my kidney infection and Aila's ear infection that God provided big repair jobs for Doug to cover the costs.

5. A friend of mine is teaching dance and is letting me take class for free!

6. All of the Christmas presents from friends and family!

7. We got to eat at other people's homes alot this month.

I am sure there are so many more things that I can't think of right now. Isn't God awesome?

Pics by Granny

Here are the pics Doug's mom took while she was out here: