Liar, Liar...Pants on Fire!

And so it begins...

When Jacob came home for lunch, I had just slipped back into my bathroom to finish getting ready. I had left Owen in the living room where he was happily driving his trucks and tractors on the couch. Jacob walked in, greeted Owen and noticed a graffiti artist had tagged our couch with his crayons. Big no-no...obviously. Owen got in trouble. When Jacob asked why he had drawn on the couch, Owen replied, "Jake came over...drawed on couch." Stifling our laughter (because you aren't supposed to laugh), we made sure he knew that WE knew it was OWEN who had committed the offense. Good grief. The couch is cleaned, the crayons have been put away and a lesson has been learned. The lesson: lying starts too soon.

On a more positive note, I banged my knee on the corner of our coffee table this morning (that's not the positive part). I crumbled to the floor (real dramatic-like) and told Owen I had hurt my knee. He said, "I kiss it, Mommy." Thanks, Owen-all better! :)

My Vision

*This is long. I just wanted to warn you.*

This past Sunday our pastor delivered a particularly stirring sermon. He challenged all of us to really figure out what it is that God has given us a passion for and turn it into a ministry. He said, statistically speaking, 20% of members of a congregation do 80% of the work-and, generally, everyone accepts that and goes about their business. His question was, "What if 100% of the congregation had a vision/passion and actually took steps to turn it into a ministry?" Think of what we could accomplish...Think of all the lives that could be changed...Think of all those people who are hurting who could be provided for and comforted.

Jacob and I are both involved in our church. We DO stuff. We don't just show up haphazardly and merely sit, listen and go home. BUT, am I really bringing something new to the table? Am I using the gifts God has given me to truly make a difference-or at least try to make a difference in the grand scheme of life? I have excused myself from really exploring what it is I have to offer because I'm a mom and, well, it's all-consuming. I don't think that's an acceptable excuse.

Anyway, I decided to ask the members of my life group if any of them had a vision for a ministry. Then, I shared mine. I have a passion for seeing couples eliminate debt and live a life free from all the clutter that is caused by excessive spending and collecting. It's a road Jacob and I have chosen after learning through Crown Financial Ministries and Dave Ramsey and I am convinced that it is extremely relevant in today's economy. Our culture yells, "Buy now, pay later with 36 easy payments!" "You deserve this, you've worked so hard!" "This is the gadget you've been looking for to fill that emptiness you feel inside!" "This will cure you of your insecurity!" Baloney. God loves us and wants us to love others. He wants us to be free to minister in any and all capacities, but when we are tangled in a web of debt and stuff, we aren't free to do that. Sorry, I may have gone a little overboard, but, like I said, it's my passion.

Here's what was really cool about Sunday. When I shared my vision-to provide financial counseling to families who were struggling-my life group members became excited. You see, the two other families in the room have also chosen to live a life free of debt. WHAT?! I had no idea. They had all walked the same road, made the same sacrifices and were sitting there sharing about what a difference it had made in their lives. THEN, they proceeded to suggest ways we could ALL participate in the ministry together. Okay, at this point, I was just planning on sharing my vision with no real plan of putting it into action soon because, well, like I said, I'm a mom (embarrassing, sheepish grin). So, here's what I love about God. Not only has He given me a passion, but He has also provided some real support and accountability. I've said it now. It's out there. Other people know and are willing to help. So, what choice do I have? I think I've got to stop making excuses and just do it. That's what I think.

So, what's your vision?

What's your passion?

What are you doing to put it into action?

Singing...

Owen enjoys singing. He breaks into song at random. I'm always amazed at the songs he can remember...or invent. Here's what he sang today:

"Three blind mice

Jumping on the bed

One fell off and bumped his head

And he couldn't get up in the morning!"

I think it takes talent to fuse 3 different songs/nursery rhymes together, don't you? Can you name the songs (or sing them all)?

Owen also likes to sing "Deep and Wide," but the 'fountain flowing' part is a little tricky for him to sing. Today, in the middle of his song, he stopped to inform us that he "Can't drink it (the water from the fountain). It's icky." :) We're always telling him he can't drink his bathwater because it's icky. Apparently the same holds true for fountain water. Ahh, seeing life through the eyes of a 2-year old is so fun.

Fun Fabrics!

Here are all the fabrics we ordered for Olivia's room! The two on the far right are going to be used for the crib skirts and all of them will be a part of the quilt for the pink twin bed. It's all coming together!

The Pink Bed

Here it is...the pink bed. I love it! I think the "grans" are going to enjoy it, too. We still have a long way to go on Olivia's room, but we've definitely made some progress. Her fabric will be here TOMORROW! Owen has also thoroughly enjoyed jumping on the pink bed. I'm pretty sure he's going to be sleeping in it at some point-he really likes being in Olivia's room. Just wanted to update you on the progress...

Mr. Clean

I decided to hire help.
I'm tired of cleaning and he's fun to watch.

Kick Count

Today I went to my 30-week Dr. appointment. That's right, in a mere 9 weeks, Miss Olivia will be arriving. That makes me a little anxious and pretty excited. Anyway, today my Dr. told me to really start doing my "kick counts" which means I have to make sure I feel at least 10 kicks within 3 hours after eating a meal. That shouldn't be a problem. Let me tell you, this girl has the kicking down! Good grief. I'm pretty sure she's laying sideways and she's been wiggling and moving like a little jitterbug. I sort of forgot what it felt like to have a little jumping bean doing happy dances in my stomach-I now remember: it feels weird and wonderful...and weird.

In other Olivia news, the twin bed (aka the grandma bed) is thisclose to being finished. It is PINK and so, so cute! I'll post pictures as soon as I can. Also, her fabric is on its way to my house and I cannot wait to see it. My mom is making all the bedding, etc. and I'm ready to put her to work!

Also, Owen LOVES to play in Olivia's crib. He drags his stool over to it, hoists himself in, and starts jumping away. One thing I love is how he refers to her bed as "Livia's bed" and her clothes as "Livia's clothes." He's going to be one sweet big brother. I can't wait to introduce him to his baby sister! Won't be long...