Notice that the baby whopps her brother right after the words "so sweet." Yes, this sums up the raw truth of family life.
The Celebration Continues
Ethan and Hannah Joy brought each of the family members a souvenir from their honeymoon in Cancun #sweetypies. So the kids thanked them with a song to go with their new maracan instruments. Man, I love these kids and my new daughter-n-love! Such sweet times!
Adding to the Family
We. prayed.
And guess what God did in His sweetness? "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights..." James 1:17. God certainly, as usual, gets the prize for the best wedding gift given to this precious couple. The snow covered mountain provided a fairy tale atmosphere and memories to last a lifetime.
 | ||
| The wedding venue the Day BEFORE the wedding. No snow. :(
|
Our oldest daughter, Madeleine, captured their First Look pictures on that beautiful morning.
When I get unpacked and caught up on life, I'll post some of the beyond precious wedding photos.
~Terri
Much work, planning and excitement ushered us to this event. Guests were boarding planes from New York, Texas, Montana, Tennessee, California and more.
Much work, planning and excitement ushered us to this event. Guests were boarding planes from New York, Texas, Montana, Tennessee, California and more.
A Christmas Song for You!
Merry Christmas! Is your tree up? Are you in the holiday spirit? Our lights have been twinkling since October and we've been listening to Christmas music just as long! Needless to say, this is our FAVORITE holiday!
Click the link below to get a peek into Alexis, and her sweet friend Lydia's Sleigh Ride Fantasy Christmas recital piece. I LOVE THIS ARRANGEMENT! I still can't believe these girls memorized this 5 minute song! Enjoy!! And...MERRY CHRISTMAS!
~Terri
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=
Little Hands
Here is a pic of my almost 3-year-old folding laundry. Yes, I’m actually letting her do it, even with her clumsy motor skills. To her, it’s still a privilege and not a chore, so why not? This, of course, means that I must drop my standard DRASTICALLY in order to benefit from her effort, but seriously, why not?
Does my perfection in chores help her more than allowing her hand to practice? I, honestly, don’t care to spend time redoing all her work.
So I don’t.
Her daddy knows that when the towels lay wompy-jawed crammed into the cabinets that she took towel duty, and he LOVES it!
He loves that she is being trained to care for her home.
He loves that she works beside mama.
He loves that her soul is nourished with hard work at an early age.
Perspective is everything. I’m thankful she loves to help and I’m THRILLED that the older kids and I are freed from this particular chore at this particular moment. Including the little ones in daily chores will pay you back a hundred fold if you will let it.
Love those tots by valuing their help.
Give them a head start in life by allowing them to work along side you. If you catch yourself saying, “No!” when they ask to help. Stop and ask yourself, “Why?” And then answer with a resounding, “Why not?”
Dr. Mom
I over heard a handful of moms bemoaning the fact that their kids were getting sick too often during this cold and flu season. I understand. It's a real problem. I’ve been there and have learned a few simple strategies for avoiding “the bugs” through out the years. So here's my two cents from raising 11 kids...
The old proverb, An apple a day keeps the doctor away, has earned its place for a reason. Do you know the benefits of apples?
They are bursting with immune boosting antioxidants. Quercetin is the fancy name for the antioxidant found in apples, but you don’t need to know the name in order to reap the benefits. Just remember: Apples are a powerful antioxidant.
Apples detoxify the liver and keep the bowels moving. The body is like a river and if part of the river is built up with refuse then the rest of the river is toxic too. In order to keep the body clean and healthy the bowels must move daily and an apple is a GREAT way to do this. I buy apples by the case and require my kids to eat one daily. I rarely have to remind them to eat one, I usually have to say…”Slow down on the apples, this case needs to last a few weeks!”
Read the rest of my tips HERE.
Grab Your Coffee!
Ask questions.
Get personal.
Learn new things.
I LOVE this section! In fact, even though I'm an author in the bundle, I think I'll cash in on this opportunity. Read through the line-up of authors (HERE) I personally want to talk to Katie Kimball. I've loved her books for a long time! And Sheila Wray Gregoire! Definitely Sheila! If your married, you should talk to Shiela ;-) Check these ladies out!
But It just keeps getting better! I just learned that you can Buy one bundle and GET ONE HALF OFF!
Or buy 3 for the price of 2! Now I'm not great at math, but I think that makes each e-book about 15 cents a piece or something like that! YIKES! That's practically FREE!
You'd be saving SO MUCH money that you would HAVE to go shopping for something else!
SO COOL!
So what are you waiting for Click buy to SAVE a TON of money! (sale ends Sat. 11:59 pm Est)
Don't Waste Money!
I missed the last Healthy Living Bundle because I didn't KNOW ABOUT IT! And it was a GREAT BUNDLE! And now I'm KICKING MYSELF!
I don't want that to happen to you, so I'll give you a little information each day this week. This sale ends Sat.
Well, if you love to learn... enjoy using natural remedies... hope to improve your healthy cooking skills...have a family member with health issues...
If you are married...If you like to save money...If you have friends or hope to have friends...If you live and breathe...then...
Look through the bookshelves below to see the amazing books (for approx .36 cents each) included in the sale. This offer only lasts until Saturday at 11:59 after that everything will go back up to FULL PRICE! So don't waste money, click on the link to see the rest of the offer and get yours while it's dirt cheap.
https://us154.infusionsoft.com/go/geteducated/a190/
I don't want that to happen to you, so I'll give you a little information each day this week. This sale ends Sat.
First, WHO is the bundle for?
Well, if you love to learn... enjoy using natural remedies... hope to improve your healthy cooking skills...have a family member with health issues...
If you are married...If you like to save money...If you have friends or hope to have friends...If you live and breathe...then...
This Bundle is for YOU!
Look through the bookshelves below to see the amazing books (for approx .36 cents each) included in the sale. This offer only lasts until Saturday at 11:59 after that everything will go back up to FULL PRICE! So don't waste money, click on the link to see the rest of the offer and get yours while it's dirt cheap.
(Don't forget to scroll to the bottom to see all the bookshelves before you Click the link)
An 86 eBook Healthy Living Library
Healthy Kitchen:I already have a few of these in my e-book library (because they are great books) so I'll give my extra copies as gifts. Section worth: $141.13
Allergy-Friendly/Special Diets:Just about everyone I know needs these books right now! Section worth: $58.79
Menu Planning/Meal Prep: Section worth: $21.85
Natural Skincare: Section worth: $31.94
Natural Health:These are MUST HAVE'S for all moms!
Section worth: $128.88
Healthy Lifestyle: I think this might be one of my favorite sections. Section worth $93.93
Fitness:Oh look! There are two of my books :) Section worth: $13.96
Gardening/Sustainability: Section worth: $40.86
Green Living: Section worth: $29.95
Special Health Concerns:These will be used as reference books for YEARS and YEARS. Section worth: $75.86
Healthy Kids & Babies: I wish I had had these 21 years ago when I had my first baby. Section worth: $105.30
Learning About Real/Whole Foods: Love this one too. Section worth: $58.92
https://us154.infusionsoft.com/go/geteducated/a190/
Warning: Corny Mom Video Will Make You Want to Spend Money
Today is the day! The Healthy Living Bundle is AVAILABLE Now until Saturday!
Click on this link to watch my Corny Video Commercial.
Click on this link to watch my Corny Video Commercial.
Warning: Free Gifts Involved
Those of you who follow me over at 31 Days to Fit know that one of my passions is to mentor and equip women in the area of healthy living. Well, I am SO EXCITED to be able to share with you this AMAZING bundle FULL of e-books on every area of Healthy Living!
We at the Laundry Moms are so confidant that this Healthy Living Bundle will help equip you to be a better mom, that we want to GIVE AWAY A FREE KINDLE!! Enter for Your Chance to win HERE!
Blessing or Burden?
Last week the kids and I ventured out to our local Butterfly Museum. We greatly anticipated the soft, feather like creatures floating by, landing on our shoulders, and posing for the camera.
However, it was a bit more than a few of my kids expected.
Halle (my-2-year-old) flew through the door and down the concrete stairs of the Butterfly Museum without a care.
Until I hollered, “Halle, look up!”
The flying ceiling caught her off guard and she ducked and screamed and ran for cover. Which proved to be her next problem...
Read what happened HERE.
Discipline + Love = Happy Child
Last week Miss Priss stormed out of class, destroyed a chalkboard and disrespected mom by ignoring instruction.
Remember I said I had a bomb to drop? Well, take cover: It is possible for mom to require Miss Priss to physically obey with severity, BUT a child that obeys only out of fear will STOP obeying when car keys grant a level of freedom.
Discipline without love is ineffective and even damaging.
Love without discipline…
Is what? Read the rest HERE>
Attitudes vs. Beatitudes
It’s Parent Observation Day in the kindergarten class. Students buzz with excitement waiting to show off the “Pass-Catch: Answer” game to expectant parents. Parents settle with anticipation while students gather in a huddled circle facing the teacher.
Let the game begin: The beanbag flies from proud teacher to well taught pupils. Silently, parents hold a unanimous breath.
*Whoosh!* Children jump to catch the bag of beans. Only one will receive it’s plopping land, (but each will receive a turn throughout the course of questions.)
*Plop!* All eyes turn to the (first) smiling winner.
One over excited student who missed the opening toss by an inch looses control as realization settles that It’s Not Her Turn to answer, yet!
And the disappointed one becomes the star of the show.
*Stomp!* Stomp!* Huff!*
Swinging her empty hands angrily, she loudly huffs to the door, flings it open and announces, “I’m LEAVING.”
The moms observing the class wonder what the teacher will do. The teacher wonders what Miss Priss’s mom will do...
Read the Rest HERE.
Bathroom Cleaning Fairies
Do cleaning fairies clean your bathrooms? If not, click on the link to watch my kids speed clean their bathroom.
Click Here!
Click Here!
The Dinner Disaster
The beans boil onto the stove top, drip…drip…dripping to the floor. Chopped vegetables tumble off the cutting board and sprawl across the counter top in front of my disheveled teen chef. Twenty-six bowls, 7 measuring cups and 5 stirring spoons lay strewn on the kitchen counter. Company is coming for dinner!
And they are due to knock on the door in T minus 90 minutes.
The dining table resembles hurricane aftermath with papers, books and cups acting as table cover. Surrounded by the remnants of a harried home schooling day, I calculate the tasks at hand. We can do this.
See what happens Here.
Plug In and Recharge
I wear an Up Band. It’s a cool sports tool. I look to the band for direction in the area of physical health and nutrition. When I’m sedentary, it sends little alarms encouraging me to “take a walk.” When I haven’t slept enough, it alerts me to the dangers of not getting enough rest. It breaks down the foods I eat, so that I know when I’ve over done it on chocolate. (Like I need a band to tell me that!)
In order for the band to give me direction, it must be charged. The band must spend time away from me plugged into the charger to refuel its battery.
Otherwise it’s reduced to an accessory on my wrist. My little sports band will not fulfill its complete purpose if it is not charged.
We moms are much like sports bands. Our families look to us for direction, instruction and encouragement, but if we don’t unplug from them in order to recharge we will be nothing but an accessory. Our kids need more than a pretty mom. Our husbands need more than an arm ornament.
When my personal battery flashes red...
Read the rest HERE
Imaginary Friends
The elementary school child stands outside the classroom door ANXIOUS on his first day of school A sweaty palm clasps the cold metal doorknob as questions flood:
Will they like me?
What if I’m the only one in clothes like this?
What if EVERYONE is buying lunch and I’m the only one with a lunch box?
What if I don’t know the answers?
Fears, doubts, and self-insecurities creep through the child's brain. Trembling for a brief moment the young one remembers his mother’s counsel...
Read the rest HERE.
Read the rest HERE.
A Time for Everything
This past year our pastor has been talking about making an impact… Living a life that keeps on giving even after our time is up. So I have been evaluating the way I spend my days, my hours and my minutes. He’s right, I want to live a life that makes a difference, and I bet you do to!
As I sat and evaluated my minutes, I came back around to the fact, that besides my marriage, my growing children are my highest priority in this season. I have a few fun hobbies that I could justify makes a difference like writing for blogs and writing e-books, but I determined upon my evaluation that …
Read the rest HERE.
Puzzle Pieces
Walking through the mall department store, my daughter and I approached a mother, daughter, and granddaughter trio coming towards us. Bouncing on the hip of the young mother, the wee one was decked out in a pink ones-y with rhinestones and a puffy, pink tutu. A giant gauze bow crowned the child’s head and she represented one of the cutest little ballerinas I had ever seen. I smiled at the threesome as we passed, then looked at my own daughter to acknowledge that she had witnessed the same adorable family.
However, my laughing face greeted a sour expression on my daughter’s face.
Did I miss something?
Find out why my daughter reacted with a sour expression...HERE.
A Box Full of Puppies and Missing Panties
Boxes line the halls in our house like guards keeping us from entering certain rooms. Closets and drawers lay barren stripped of the clothes that kept them warm for many years. Packing our house to move was exciting and even exhilarating when we started but feelings have changed.
The packing was timed to end right as the moving truck pulled up to our house to gather our belongings and deposit us at our new location, but true to life… the plans got changed.
Read the rest of the story HERE.
Lizard Tails
As I stood in the kitchen preparing lunch, the girls' screaming in the backyard resonated through the windows. I knew that Samuel had taken his bug catching equipment outside and by the sounds coming from the girls, I figured he had found a good one.
A few minutes passed and the back door flew open, rushing the chaos from the backyard to the kitchen.
(Lucky me.)
Everyone chattered at once.
Girl 1: MOM! Samuel caught a lizard and pulled off its tail...
Read the rest of the saga HERE.
Fat Proof Your Kids
One day I was sitting in my pediatrician’s office waiting for our name to be called and the scene in front of me was impossible to ignore. Across from me sat an extremely obese woman and her almost equally obese toddler.
The toddler fussed, cried and wriggled in discomfort, all while the mom kept unwrapping little chocolates and poking them into the child’s mouth in an attempt to pacify the ill one.
The toddler fussed, cried and wriggled in discomfort, all while the mom kept unwrapping little chocolates and poking them into the child’s mouth in an attempt to pacify the ill one.
The child was too young to communicate clearly what she needed, but it was obvious she did NOT want the chocolate. The irritated mom, however, continued her unsuccessful attempts to passify the child with sugar, which only made the scene worse..
Read the rest of the story HERE.
WHY 31 Days to Fit
Well, Hi Mamas!
I’m the author of 31 Days to Fit, the little give away at the bottom of the AWESOME Trim Healthy Mama Giveaway this month. I feel quite honored to be paired with these two AMAZING women. Amazing not just because of the book they wrote, but also because of the lives they live. I can’t wait to see who wins. They wrote a GREAT BOOK.
Now a little about WHY my book and I are paired with them… When I was in my teens I began to see that weight was going to be an issue for my small 5 foot tall framed body. So I took all my questions and concerns to the Creator. I KNEW He had the answers. I understood that He created us to eat and enjoy food, and I believed that He cared that I wanted to be healthy AND TRIM.
But I was confused about HOW to eat and MAINTAIN trim.
I was tired, bloated and could barely put food in my mouth without gaining a pound...
Read the rest of the story HERE.
We Survived! Spring Cleaning DONE!
Well, today is the LAST DAY of our Spring Cleaning Frenzy! THANK GOODNESS! I mean, doesn’t it feel GREAT to have a de-cluttered, sparkly clean home right before summer? Come to think of it, deep cleaning right before summer…it’s akin to taking a bath BEFORE going on a sweaty jog. We are strange people, aren’t we?Well, this family has worked hard together, and the progress was invigorating. However, I’m thankful it’s called Spring Cleaning
and not:
Spring/Summer Purge and Wipe Until You Die Cleaning.
Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE a sparkly clean house, but if that were this family’s main goal every day, NOTHING else would EVER be accomplished around here. Sometimes a girl’s just gotta let a room WAIT, and it’s OK. The world will still go around if a thing or two are out of place.
Free Book
I am offering my marriage book FREE on Amazon until Friday! If you would write a quick review in exchange for the free copy, I would be greatly obliged. Reviews help readers know what they're buying.
I wrote the book in a short little clips, so the busy and or ADD wives would read it ...
In other words it may be a little book, but it's an important one. The more review it gets, the more Amazon wil share it. Let's work to keep Christian marriages together! (Don't forget the offer ends Friday.)
Enjoy the book!and thank you ahead for writing a review :-)
Blessings!!
Terri
Don't Put It Down...PUT IT UP!
Whose is this?
Why is this here?
Pick this up!
Is this trash?
These rattlings fall out of my mouth more than I care to admit. When an item does not have a CERTAIN home, it is more likely to sprawl in the open...making me sound like a broken record.
Drives me NUTS!!
It’s a CONSTANT battle that we’ll eventually WIN…I’m determined, but it requires that purging process we’ve talked about.
I know HOW to keep a home neat, clean and organized, but that does not mean it always happens. Life is the only consistent happening around here. When I make this next confession you may NEVER read another word I write. You may gasp, shut the computer, find another mom blog to read, or write me an instructional, heplful note... But since confession is good for the soul…I'll risk it…
Read the confession HERE.
Unraveled
EVERYTHING I do gets unraveled! This fact makes my hair frizz, my shoulders slump and my belly button poke out. Maybe that’s why I'm not a clean freak. It messes up my look.
Sometimes the unraveling feels like a giant conspiracy to get me to STOP working towards CLEAN. I work all day yet can appear to have done NOTHING by the time my honey gets home. Little ones lurk around corners waiting to empty cabinets, or the toddler finds the ONE marker I missed under the sofa and proudly decorates the freshly washed walls with pretty designs.
It’s a conspiracy, I tell you!...
Read the rest HERE.
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