Malachi 3:3

I received this in an email...Just thought I'd share.

Malachi 3:3 says:

"He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver."


This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God.
One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study.
That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver.
As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.
The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says:
"He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver."
She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined.
The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.
The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?"
He smiled at her and answered,
"Oh, that's easy -- when I see my image in it."
If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has His eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.

Cleaning Tips

Okay so who doesn't like a clean house? I can only relax when my house is nice and clean...not just picked up, but actually clean. When a house is clean, you not only see the difference, but you can smell the difference. When you walk into my home, I want it to look and smell nice!
Since we're a one income family, we're on a tight budget. I can't afford costly cleansers and all this fancy cleaning equipment. But no matter, the most effective cleaning supplies are also the most inexpensive!

Here's what I use:

A. Arm & Hammer Baking Soda- there are a million uses for this handy, CHEAP substance! Google it!

Uses for Baking Soda

My uses (aside from general cleaning)
Odor absorber-
1. Sprinkle it on carpet and furniture, then vacuum up.
2. Sprinkle in the garbage can.
3. Leave a small box open in the fridge and freezer.

B. Vinegar- another amazing, cheap product with millions of uses!

Uses for Vinegar

My uses:
1. General cleaning
2. In dishwasher as a rinsing agent
3. Keep my dog's ears clean

C. Lemon juice

My uses:
1. De-greaser
2. Deodorizer

D. Lysol All purpose 4 in 1 disinfectant spray

1. Disinfectant
2. Deodorizer

I use this mainly when I don't have any cleaning mixture made up...it's quick and easy and actually really cheap!

E. Windex
F. Murphy's Oil Soap- Even though you can make your own window cleaner and furniture polish, I've found Murphy's oil soap much cheaper than using olive oil (the main ingredient in homemade furniture polish) plus it smells nice and cleans and shines really well.

Now...to keep my home smelling nice, nothing beats the smell of clean! Here are some other ideas I use.

1. Burn soy candles and incense.
2. Fragrance satchels placed in drawers
3. Air fresheners

When I say I am a Christian...

When I Say "I Am A Christian"...

When I say..."I am a Christian"
I’m not shouting "I am saved"
I’m whispering "I get lost!"
"That is why I chose this way."

When I say..."I am a Christian"
I don’t speak of this with pride.
I’m confessing that I stumble
and need someone to be my guide.

When I say..."I am a Christian"
I’m not trying to be strong.
I’m professing that I’m weak
and pray for strength to carry on.

When I say..."I am a Christian"
I’m not bragging of success.
I’m admitting I have failed
and cannot ever pay the debt.

When I say..."I am a Christian"
I’m not claiming to be perfect,
my flaws are too visible
but God believes I’m worth it.

When I say..."I am a Christian"
I still feel the sting of pain
I have my share of heartaches
which is why I seek His name.

When I say..."I am a Christian"
I do not wish to judge.
I have no authority.
I only know I’m loved.

-Author Carol Wimmer - Copyright 1988

What I Want For My Children...

Soooo. With Olivia just having turned 10 a few weeks ago, and Danielle beginning 1st grade recently, I've been feeling a bit sentimental. I miss the days of my girls being babies. I regret the fact that I was so busy...working, doing, seeing, whatever. I didn't pay the attention to them that I should have. I made some irresponsible decisions in my life and I can never take them back. Life is so full of distractions. What we don't realize, until it's too late, is that you never get these days back. Ever.
I'm thankful though, that I've realized this sooner rather than later. Sometimes I wish I could turn back the time, but since I know I can't...I just want to make the most of the time I have with them now. I want to be fully present and fully aware of my children. Their lives, their fears, their hopes, their tears, their joy, their everything.
That being said...what I hope for my children is this:

I want them to be honest. With others and most importantly, with themselves and with God.
I want them to dream and dream big.
I want them to have a solid foundation set in God's love.
I want God's discipline to be gentle on them.
I want them to never be afraid to try new things.
I want them to look in the mirror and to like what they see.
I want them to love, and love deeply.
I want them to care, and care deeply.
I want them to see this world through the eyes of Jesus.
I want them to long to help those who are in need.
I want them to set themselves apart and not conform to this world's standards.
I want them to know unconditional love.
I want them to see things as they truly are, and not as they would want them to be.
I want them to be able to give unconditional love.
I want them to never lose hope.
I want them to always have faith.
I want them to be generous.
I want them to work hard.
I want them to play harder.
I want them to be strong.
I want them to want what they've got.
I want them to know that God's love and faithfulness is unfailing and never ending.
I want them to know that they are the ones stopping them from achieving anything they want.
I want them to know...that at the end of the day, their Daddy and I love them more than life, would give our lives for them, and will always be here for them no matter what. I want them to know they can always come home.

Favorite Things- Pt. 2...

1. Tide Clean Breeze...Tide always works, no matter what the laundry stain and I love the smell of Clean Breeze. I wish they'd just bottle it up as a perfume! hahah

2. Zout...This is stain remover for laundry and it is awesome! It's never come across a stain it wouldn't remove! Including, but not limited too: blood, chocolate, juices, kool-aid, grease, grass, baby formula. (Can ya tell we're MESSY people???) You can also use it on a variety of fabrics.

3. Snuggle... Sweet Almond Essence- I absolutely LOVE this stuff but since it's not budget-friendly, I only use it with towels, blankets and sheets. Normally I make my own fabric softener using baking soda and vinegar (I forgot to add that to my previous post) and then use dryer sheets.

*Never use fabric softener on kids' clothes or bedding because it breaks down the flame resistance and can actually make it more flammable!*

4. Magic Eraser...I love these things! They really do clean just about anything. It's never let me down and even though they're a little pricey...it's worth it when the only other option would be to repaint, refinish, etc...or ya know, spend hours scrubbing. Yeah, I admit it, I'm drawn to convenience at times, lol. And you always pay for convenience!

5. Oreck... These vacuums are crazy expensive compared to most, so before the eyerolls come, let me explain... Dan's company offers a reward program for something or other and each quarter they get so many points. You spend those points on items in a catalog and as it happened there was an Oreck XL in there. Now since I am a vacuum-aholic, I begged Dan to let me spend every single point on this thing. I knew I'd never get one if I had to actually pay for it! Well...this thing works like a dream. I've had it for almost 2 years and it STILL works like it did when I first got it. The suction is awesome, it's incredibly light-weight. It has an extra long extension cord and you can buy the bags for it at Walmart! You should know we're extremely hard on vacuums...and I would go through about 2 a year. That's $200 a year. With the Oreck it comes with a free mini-canister vacuum with hose attachments (I adore this thing and use it daily) plus free tune-ups for so many years, depending on which model you buy, (for instance the new model The Oreck XL Platinum comes with a 10 yr. warranty and 10 free annual tune-ups) and also a several year warranty (also depending on which model you buy) so all that being said if you spend more than a $75/year on a vacuum, you end up SAVING money! These things are worth it.

6. Downey Ball...These are really cheap and if you have a Washer with no dispenser like mine, it's a must-have.

7. Sharpie...These are amazing inventions.

8. Baking Mats...My Mom introduced me to these and I love them. Just place it in the pan, spray lightly with cooking spray and there ya go. This saves things from sticking and keeps your pan from getting all icky. These are what I use: Wilton Easy-Flex Silicone Baking Mat



Well, I think that's it...I'm sure I'll think of more things and I'll continue to add to the list as I think of them.

Rough Day...

Welllll, today was rough. I barely slept the night before and had to be awake by 7am as usual. I also had a few errands to run, including the Dollar Tree (LOVE THAT PLACE!) and the Library (one of my absolute favorite places in the world) So really the day was a strong start, aside from being really sleepy...as the day wore on though, my exhaustion started showing and Olivia was being out of character, very demanding, very thoughtless...of course she's only 10, I know, and my patience was already on the thin side, so that, along with extended family issues (My so-called mother,the one that raised me, her husband, her daughter, the sister I was raised with, are all very...screwy. For lack of a better term and I don't mean to be offensive but believe me when I say this. It's true. Anyway, with all that going on, the evening came to a screeching halt when Dan said something very innocent and mundane that sent me into waves of tears. Poor Dan. Before he could even try to comprehend what he had said wrong, it all came spilling out. After that, he sent me to bed with lots of hugs and kisses and I awoke a couple hours later feeling much, much better. Of course it'll be hard to sleep tonight but that's okay as tomorrow is only a half day and I'll be able to rest up some. So anyway. The first "not wonderful very close to being awful" day of Homeschooling has come and passed and guess what?! We survived! YAY! And I'm still loving it.

Favorite Things...

These are some of my favorite things...

1. Sofa throws. I collect them. I LOVE them! So comfy and cozy.
2. Thunderstorms. Oddly enough, I find them comforting and peaceful.
3. Folgers Vanilla Biscotti. YUMMY stuff right there.
4. Cadbury Creme Eggs. Again. YUMMY!
5. Micro-plush blankets. These things are soooo warm and comfortable.
6. Sandals. If I HAVE to wear shoes, I prefer sandals.
7. Italian food. See why I have trouble losing weight??? HELLO!
8. Water. I love to swim. I love to watch the ocean. I love water period. Except DRINKING it. LOL
9. Bouquets of wildflowers.
10. White gold.
11. A fireplace. (NOT the artificial ones. The REAL ones!)
12. Fall. I love all the colors...and the breeze...and the mild weather...I just love fall period.
13. Soy candles. These things are AWESOME. They smell wonderful, fill the entire room and they burn cleanly. (No soot!) And wait...get this. They're good for your skin! You can actually pour the hot (actually only warm) wax onto your skin and it not only nourishes it but will NOT burn you! (I know this for fact.)
14. My grandma's biscuits and gravy. She makes them the best EVER! I practically grew up on them.
15. Pedicures. A rare treat for me but a treat nonetheless.

Another day complete...

Another day of Homeschooling completed. I have to say, I'm really loving it! So is Olivia. I think Danielle might be starting to get jealous, but I don't want her to choose homeschooling based on that, know what I mean? That's not an acceptable reason for me, although I would LOVE to Homeschool her as well and I have no doubt that she will choose that option down the road. Anyway, my plan is to just reinforce how much I love her and spend more one on one time with her. I think that will ease her worries. I sure hope so, I love my lil Danielle. My girls are my heart.

This week we rearranged Olivia's subjects so that we could spend more time on one subject and have lighter Fridays and although we're only through with two days, it's really working out. We've finished early both days, which allows me to go over topics we've covered, to reinforce them. The more days that pass, the more confident I feel about what a great decision this has been for my family.

I also have more ammunition when I face opposition from those I know. (Including some family members) Although some days I have felt really annoyed, my goal is to educate rather than be defensive and further advance their already questionable opinions of me. A few times I have been able to stop the judgements in their tracks just by taking the time to explain the reasons that this is the route we've chosen, along with facts and experience to go along with it. Of course there are those just looking for a reaction and have meanness in their heart. Those you can't really do anything about. I've found, though, that a lot of people are as uneducated on the subject as I was, and have formed opinions based on misinformation and negative hearsay.

Anyway...the point of all this, is that Homeschooling is going really well and my family is really content with this, and that's really all I can ask for! :-)

So I was on FB earlier...

And the topic of L-O-V-E came up. Love is one of the most debated, irritating, wonderful, terrible, amazing things life has to offer us, and we have to offer life. Ya know? So I just want to put my .02 cents out there.
I have single friends, okay, and most of their ideas regarding love is FANTASY. Big time. White knights. No fights. All blissful and happy and all things fiction. Even though I know that 11 years isn't all that long of a time to be married, I do feel like I have a valid thought on the idea...My husband and I have been through a LOT. And let me tell you this, there were many nights I didn't think we were going to last. No one did. And without God we probably wouldn't have. And who knows what the future holds, but as for right now...I just want to say this.

LOVE is way more than a feeling. It is a CHOICE. There are going to be days when you don't FEEL like loving someone. You're angry. You're tired. You're busy. You're whatever...but you're not always going to look at this person and say, Ohhh I just love you so much kissey kissey kissey. Sorry. Not going to happen. So what do we do in those situations? We say Okay. Even though I don't FEEL like loving you right now, I'm going to choose to love you anyway. I don't know of any lasting relationship that is solely based on feelings. Not even our relationship with Jesus is based on feelings. It's based on FAITH. And that is really similar to our spousal relationships. I choose to love my husband even though I don't have any guarantees that he will always be faithful. That he will always love me back. Know what I mean?

I got married 3 days after I turned 18 and we had every possible odd stacked against us. I THOUGHT I loved him. But guess what? That was pure and simple lust. Now...having been married literally through good and bad, rich and poor, sickness and health, 2 children and so on and so forth...I KNOW that I love him. Not because I always FEEL like it. And I'm sure there are days when he doesn't feel like loving me! Heck, I can be so mean my own dog probably doesn't feel like loving me! LOL But anyway...I don't really know what my point is...or was...but I just felt like sharing this.

Subjects Schedule...

This is what our schedule looks like for the week, in regards to which subjects on what days:

Monday-
Math (2 lessons)
Literature
Vocabulary
Language Skills
American History
Science

Tuesday-
Math
Literature (2 lessons)
Spelling
Vocabulary
American History
Art

Wednesday-
Math
Literature
Spelling
Language Skills
American History
Music

Thursday-
Spelling (2 lessons)
Language Skills
Vocabulary
American History (2 lessons)
Science

Friday-
Math
Literature
Spelling test
Language Skills
Art

*We also do physical education and Bible study

Lessons Learned...

I just thought I'd share this...

Lessons I've learned...

1. You get what you pay for.
2. Smiling for no reason...when in a bad mood, really does lift your spirits. If for
no other reason than you look pretty silly driving around with a huge grin plastered on your face.
3. Kindness is free.
4. Love is infectious. So is Hate. It spreads.
5. If they cheat with you, they'll cheat on you.
6. When one door closes, another one is sure to open.
7. You always have a choice in life. No matter what situation. Even if it's only in the attitude you choose to take.
8. You really do reap what you sow.
9. Karma is real.
10. There are 3 sides to every story. His version. Her version. And the truth. Which
is usually somewhere in the middle.
11. Everybody has a story. Some happy, some heartbreaking. But everybody has one.
12. The Bible is the road map to life.
13. While it's true that drugs may make you forget...more than anything, they make
you WANT to forget.
14. Everybody has a motive. Whether good or bad, everybody has one.
15. Monsters really do exist. The scariest ones take on a human form.
16. The more money you have, the more money you spend, the more problems you have.
17. Nothing lasts forever.
18. Usually, the person in the right is the one doing the least amount of talking.
19. Anything can change in an instant.
20. Everybody has an opinion.
21. The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
22. It's better to just say what you mean and mean what you say.

I'm sure I've got a whole bunch more but this is it for now.

Schedule...

This is our current schedule:

(It goes without saying that many times we will be running either early or late. Unfortunately for me, you can't schedule everything! So this is just a basic idea...
Also, on Fridays we will only have half days or less as those will be reserved for Field Trips, Fun Friday, etc.

7 A.M.- Wake up; Breakfast; Showers; Dressed

8 A.M.- Danielle on the bus; Prepare for day; downtime for Olivia, snack

9 A.M.- Lessons begin

10 A.M.- Snack/Break

10:30 A.M- Lessons resume

Noon- Lunch/Break

1 P.M.- Lessons resume

2 P.M. Snack/Break

2:30 P.M.- Lessons resume

4 P.M.- Dinner

5 P.M.- Downtime

7 P.M.- Homework/Chores

8 P.M.- Downtime

9 P.M.- Bedtime

My daily To-Do list includes:

1. School (obviously)
And in between times when Olivia can work independently, I can get my list completed.
2. Clean
3. Laundry
4. Dinner
5. Errands
6. And much more!

Every Friday I will grade papers, enter grades, go over schedule, print out homework pages for the week, make and print new schedule, prepare upcoming week's lessons.
This is just a general guideline!

School Supply List...

In addition to everything that was sent to us from K12 including:

Computer
Monitor
Printer
Computer Accesories
Software
Textbooks
Workbooks
Music, Science, and Art Kits
Miscellaneous Supplies

We also needed much more. The following is an extensive list:

Folders
3 ring Binders
Pens
Pencils
Calculator
Hi-Liters
Crayons
Markers
Colored Pencils
Craft Supplies
Glue
Construction Paper
Stapler
Staples
Staple Remover
Bulletin Board
White Board (Old, clean socks make awesome erasers and you can keep the markers inside of them!)
Dry Erase Markers
Notebooks
Thumbtacks
Paperclips
Rubber bands
Sharpies
White-Out
Post-Its
Organizational Boxes/Crates/Filing Cabinet/ETC
Printer Paper
Ink Cartridges
Lots of Bookmarks
3 Hole Puncher
Single Hole Puncher
Index Cards
Book Bag (On-the-go Learning)
Tape
Desk Calendar
Poster Board
Erasers
Ruler
Compass (Math)
Protractor
Pencil Sharpener
Loose Leaf Notebook Paper
Day Planner

Whew. I *think* that's everything.

Also recommended is:

Desk for Mom
Desk for Student
(or large work area)
Tylenol/Advil- heheh just had to throw some humor in!

Now I know this list is really extensive but bare with me as I'm new to this! I was so afraid of not having enough and truthfully, we've already used many, many items on this list! I'm sure there are ways of going around some of this stuff, but I am ashamed to admit, I'm a woman of convenience!

And so it begins...

Our first day of Homeschool began last week on Monday, Aug. 17th. It was L-O-N-G anticipated, let me tell you! Although I was really excited, I was also worried about so many things. Did I have enough school supplies? (I didn't) Was I prepared enough (YES!) Can I really teach? (YES! Guess what? As Moms, we've been doing it since the day we gave birth!) What if I get stumped? (I did. A few times. Yet funny enough, the earth didn't shatter and I was quickly able to figure things out, using the easy to understand "Teacher Guides") What if I'm not patient enough? And on...and on...and on... But at the end of the day, guess what? We. Did. Great.

Olivia and I have made it through week one and are eagerly anticipating week 2! We've figured out a great schedule, though we'll have to see how it works (this is all a learning process) and I'm all set on the school supplies. We've got the program down (the online school; how to log-in, set attendance, mark lessons complete, etc.) and I'm totally organized, including already having the week's lessons in each Lessons folder! Can ya tell I'm excited?! I think I might be a bit more excited than Olivia, lol, if that's possible...

But you know what makes me overjoyed and know that this is all going to work out? Watching Olivia's face as she figures something out. Seeing her wake up in the morning, excited to learn. This amazes me. This is why parents Homeschool!
Now I know there will be tough days, and I will get frustrated and Olivia will get frustrated. One or both of us will lose our patience. I know all this, expect all this. But I also know that we will remember the reasons we have taken this challenge! And everything will be just fine. Soooo. I will definitely have more to post about tomorrow! Stay tuned!

Why I Homeschool...

A year ago, Olivia came to me and began begging to be Homeschooled. My first reaction was NO WAY. I am NOT a teacher. Kids need to be IN school. I'm selfish and I enjoy my calm, quiet days. My daughter's education is IMPORTANT! I can't be responsible for ruining it! AND WHAT ABOUT SOCIALIZATION!?!?! So I listened to more whining and begging and this went on for about 6 months. Finally, out of sheer frustration I said, Fine. I will look into it. I thought that's the least I can do, right? What would it hurt? And most importantly, it got her off my back.
So...true to my word, I began doing some research. The more I looked, the more I found that homeschooling has changed sooooo much since my days of youth! Everything I've ever heard on the subject was wrong. So wrong. Finally, I found someone at our church who is an avid Homeschooler and I met with her. She was thrilled to talk to me about it and even invited me into her home to see how she has things set up. That was it for me. I was a believer! Since I've made this decision, I feel really good about it. No wishy-washiness. No worry. Only calm, peaceful. I know this is the right decision for my daughter.
Now, I know it will be a challenge. Especially while we're getting into our "groove." But...my daughter is worth it.
That being said...Is homeschooling right for everyone? Absolutely not. Just like traditional schooling isn't right for every child. My youngest daughter, Danielle, is the opposite of Olivia socially (and many other ways) and I firmly believe she could blossom in a traditional school setting. As of right now, she wants to stay in school and that is totally okay by me. If she changes her mind in a few years, I will definitely be open to homeschooling her.
As for the dreaded SOCIALIZATION issue... Liv is a Girl Scout. She's a member of our church's Choir and Drama team. I feel really certain that she won't have any trouble in this area.
Let me tell you a little bit about her... First, she is a beautiful child. She has her daddy's metabolism so she's a little feather of a thing. She's kind, compassionate, loving, shy and sensitive. She's incredibly smart and introspective. She longs to fit in, but she never will. She's different from most kids because she has a huge heart that loves God. She's got an anointing on her life, a true calling. She's so innocent and as her Mother, I want to protect her as much as possible. I know I can't protect her from everything...and it's a delicate balance as a parent. But, I will do everything in my power to protect her innocence for as long as I can.
Okay. Now for the program we're going to be using this Fall. It's really structured as far as homeschooling goes. You have to keep excellent records. The school year consists of 180 days and 920 hours. Since it's considered public school, she will have to take all tests required by the state. Here's the website to learn more. K12

Introducing...Love Along the Way

Hi there. I'm Kel. I'm a 29 year old Christian, Mother of 2 girls, aged 10 and 6, as well as a 3 year old Black Lab. I've been married to Dan for 11 years. I'm a Stay at Home Mom, as well as a Homeschooler. My youngest is happily attending public school and my oldest is home schooled. We are a very typical, American family.

This blog has been created to record our journey. Our journey into Christianity, Homeschooling, Parenthood, Marriage, Life. (In no particular order!) Since this is my first year homeschooling, I'm sure there's going to be much to write about! It's definitely not an easy task, but it's one well worth it. Most journeys in life are not easy, but well worth it, right?

To let you know who I am, I'm just going to tell you flat out that I'm a drug addict. Drug addiction/alcoholism runs deeply in my family. I was delivered from this affliction 2 years ago, Praise God. That being said, I still struggle. My parents married at the age of 18 and 19. They divorced about a year later. My birth Mom allowed my Dad to adopt me, along with his new wife and they raised me with my younger sister until they divorced when I was 15 and my Dad remarried my birth Mom. Crazy right? They proceeded to marry and divorce/split up and get back together for the next 12 years. Finally they called it quits and my step-Mom (aka Birth Mom, crazy confusion, trust me I know this) remarried, while my Dad is dating my best friend who just so happens to be 1 year older than me. heheh Gotta love family, right?! Along with the sister I already mentioned, I have another sister and brother. I also have 4 beautiful nieces and 1 very handsome nephew.

I met Dan when I was 17, 2 months shy of turning 18 and 3 days after my 18th birthday, we were wed. In a small church, with just me, Dan and a sister in attendance. Three months after we married, I became pregnant with my Olivia (my oldest) and 4 years after that, I became pregnant with Danielle, and the rest, as they say, is history. Of course there's a whooollllleee lotta history in between but we'll save that for another post! Along with being a drug addict, my husband is an alcoholic. He was delivered 2 years ago as well. Thank you Lord! Together, we have battled many demons, let me tell you. Our marriage has been intense and difficult at times, but it's a timeless love we share. An unconditional love. Along with the bad, there's also been amazing good. Much more good than bad. Especially now that we're both SOBER! LOL Since I've told you much of the bad of my "story" I'd also like to share with you my good points! (I promise I have some!)

First I want to say...I've learned and grown from every single experience I've ever had. I've taken that wisdom with me, and applied it to my life. I became a born again Christian 2 years ago, on September 9, 2007. God is my strength and my salvation. Although, I'm about as unworthy as one can get, He loves me regardless and I can never repay the debt He took upon Himself.

Aside from being a Christian, I am a Mommy. I love my children with everything inside of me. With a love only God can give you. I love being a Mom and a Wife. It's what I live for. What I was meant to be. Along with this...I also LOVE TO LAUGH! I'm very friendly and loving and have compassion to spare. I try very hard to always remain NON-JUDGMENTAL. It's very hurtful to be judged and Lord knows I have no right (none of us do) to judge another person. I love to be surrounded by those I love, family and friends...I also enjoy quiet time which as any Mom knows, doesn't come around to often! In my free time (what very little I have) I enjoy reading, watching movies, playing and of course...laughing and enjoying the beautiful life God has given me. We're a very simple...many would say boring, family but I love it. I couldn't ask for anything more. Even though life can be so hard sometimes, the burdens are always a little lighter having someone/s to share them with you!

So this is me. And now that you know my story, if you still want to read this, I welcome you! I hope you come along this ever-interesting journey with me!