What Would You Recommend?

On my trip, I read a great novel! It was A Bride Most Begrudging by Deeanne Gist. One of my blogging friends, Crystal, had recommended it on her blog awhile ago, and I was excited to finally have the time to read it myself. It was entertaining, romantic, and a definite page turner. It is historical Christian fiction/romance, set in the 1600's Colonial America. When I first picked it up, I wasn't sure if I was going to like it. Before the first chapter was finished, I was hooked! I was done in two days. (Aren't vacations wonderful?)

I love to read Christian fiction, but often times I find myself wandering around our library looking for the same authors. There aren't any more Francine Rivers books for me to read....I've read them all. : )

And because I didn't know what to get, I've had the misfortune of checking out or buying some really poorly written, cheezy books.

When I thought about doing a post today recommending this book, I had an inspiration. Why not invite other bloggers to participate in recommending their favorite Christian fiction? Then we'd all have one location to look at for recommendations before we took a trip to our local library or Christian book store.

So, I am about to venture out into something new- a blog carnival (a.k.a. meme).

If it works :) - That's the real question - Then I'd like to host "In 'Other' Words" often. An "In 'Other' Words" blog carnival would allow you to hear from other bloggers about a certain topic, right from here. You'd be able to hear "other words" from other bloggers, not just me. My first topic for my very first "In 'Other' Words" carnival will be book recommendations.

So here is how it will work:
(If you don't have a blog, you can still participate, just leave a comment at the bottom of this page with your recommendation)

1. Write a post on your blog about a Christian Fiction novel you've read recently and would recommend to other bloggers. Share a little about what type/genre the book falls into (e.g. mystery, historical fiction, romance, suspense, etc.) Please don't spoil the book! : ) If you haven't read anything recently, you could blog about books or authors you have heard good things about and are hoping to try. Somewhere in your post, please link back here and invite other bloggers to join in.

2. There is a Mr. Linky at the bottom of this post where you can add your name and the address to your blog post. It will do all the work for you and will add your name to a list of the bloggers who are participating.

Note: Please link directly to your book post, not the homepage of your blog. After you publish it, you can just click on the title of that post and it will open to just that post. Then you can copy the address up above and paste it here in the Mr. Linky. It's easy, I promise!! : ) (Email me at everydaybecky@gmail.com if you need help doing this)

3. Mr. Linky will generate a list for us at the bottom of this post. Check back and see the great books other bloggers are recommending. : )

Remember to send people over here to participate. The more recommendations the better! I can't wait to have a list of new books to try. : )

Again, if you need help with any of this, feel free to email me at everydaybecky@gmail.com

Here's to Good Books!

Note: Added 4/1/08 at 4 PM- Oops......when I set up the Mr. Linky, I had to choose from a list of titles that already existed. I didn't realize that the title "In 'Other' Words" was already being used by CWO Magazine for a blog carnival they host on Tuesdays. Before I do another carnival, I'll come up with an original title of my own. Sorry if this was confusing. : )

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More Memories from our Easter Trip

I wanted to share a few more highlights from our trip. The morning we were leaving Mom and Dad's house, my mom was sad that she would be returning to a quiet house with no granddaughters to eat dinner with that night. So after she left for work, Karissa decided to leave her a reminder of us. She wanted to make sure that Grandma and Grandpa wouldn't be eating dinner alone. : )

The end of our trip was so much fun. We were able to break the trip home in half by stopping to visit my cousin Katy. The girls were so excited to visit Katy's daughter Gracie. When we walked in the door, Gracie had Princess shirts waiting for the girls. Here's a picture of the kindred spirits:

The girls had a slumber party with Gracie in her playroom that night, and Katy made us pancakes and sausage for breakfast the next morning before we hit the road for home. The way to my girls' heart is through pancakes and sausage. : )

Katy is expecting her fourth baby three weeks after mine will be born, so it was fun to get excited about our babies together and listen to the heartbeats on the Doppler. All in all it was a great visit that I hope we can do again soon. Thanks Katy, Mike, Gracie, Cole, and Joey for showing us such a good time!

As I was packing up the car for the last leg of the trip, I saw these in Katy's front yard! It isn't the greatest photo, but it is proof that Spring really is coming! With all of the cold weather lately, I was doubting that it would ever truly be here.

It's funny to think about how hard it was for me to decide to just jump in the car and go without much planning, but I'm so glad I just did it. This entire trip was such a blessing.

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They're Kidding, Right?

We're home!! The princesses and I had a great trip. I'm so glad we went, but there is something so wonderful about walking into HOME.

My girls are falling apart (long day in the car) and I'm blog surfing to unwind from the drive and get over being car sick.

I just read Big Mama's Fashion Friday post, and came across these links from J Crew:

Pegged Pants? Who's trying to bring them back? Oh how I loved pegging my jeans, but I'm not ready for a comeback. : )

And, oh these pants. OK ladies, can you even in the farthest reaches of your imagination fathom your husband wearing these? The very thought makes me laugh out loud and any of you who know my husband are laughing with me. Not in a million years!!! Ha Ha Ha : )

I did notice the skinny tie on the model. Someone over at J. Crew is hankering for the 80's.

Thanks for the laugh, Big Mama! : )

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Celebrating Easter

As I said in my last post, we had the joy of celebrating Easter at my brother and sister-in-law's house. Here's a glimpse of our festivities.

The Night Before

After coloring eggs, the kids opened gifts from Grandma and Grandpa- Matching PJ's for each grandkid-

Duckies for the girls and alligators for the boys.

Getting 6 kids to smile and sit still is quite a feat. : )

Easter Morning: Our 6 AM, Under the Covers, Sunrise Service:

Because we were visiting a different time zone, and because we are so trained to wake up for school, the girls and I were awake an hour or so before the rest of the family. It ended up being a really special time that I'll cherish for awhile. The girls climbed in bed with me and we had a spontaneous sunrise service of our own.

It was early enough to still be dark outside, so it was a perfect backdrop to retell the resurrection story. It was really special to snuggle with the girls and hear them fill in the gaps of the story as I went along.

I had to laugh at K's answer to this question: "When they arrived at the tomb, the stone had been rolled away, and what did they find inside?" K's answer was, "Jesus was alive, all that was left was the strips of toilet paper they had wrapped him in." : )

It was just a sweet time with my girls and set the tone for what we were celebrating that day: HOPE.

Soon the sun had risen and so had the rest of the family, so it was time for some fun looking for Easter baskets. They found new beach towels and sunglasses and LOTS of candy that Mommy won't let them eat. : )

The Cousins Were All Dressed Up and Ready to Worship. <><

The weather decided not to cooperate, so after church the kids had to hunt eggs in the rain. They were troopers and found them all despite the wet stuff.

It was a fun day with family and a sweet day of remembering Jesus. Although it is a goofy video of my two rained on little girls, I thought I'd end this post with the meaning of Easter:

He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Hallelujah!

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Spontaneity

I'm sorry I have been an absent blogger! I have been away from my laptop.

On Thursday, I woke up lonely for my extended family and sad that I would be spending Easter without them. So I spent Friday doing laundry and packing, and then the girls and I abandoned poor King Charming (With his blessing), jumped in the car, and drove 8 hours to my brother and sister-in-law's house, where we were able to spend Easter with my brother's family and my mom and dad.

Today, we drove to Mom and Dad's house to spend spring break. We just walked in the door and of course the first thing I had to do was update my blog. : ) Priorities! : )

I'm excited to post pictures and share some of the highlights from our trip and our Easter celebration. Stay tuned! : )

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So, What Was the Point?

My daughter, Amy, and I had a dentist appointment this morning. As we were driving in the car, she said, "Mommy, how many kids are going to be in our family, anyway?"

My answer was, "Well, I know we are going to have at least three. There will be Sissy and you and the new baby. But so far, God has said, "No" about adopting. I'm not sure what is going to happen with our adoption. We'll have to wait and see what He says He wants us to do."

To this she said, "Hmmm, I think it is time to get mad at God."

That surprised me. : ) I have been so thankful for the childlike faith of our girls as we've gone through all of this loss. They have an eternal perspective that most adults are lacking, and they have been so good about understanding when God says, "No."

I spent the rest of the drive telling her why I've learned not to get mad at God. I talked to her about how every decision God has made for us has been for a good purpose. I tried to explain how I've seen beautiful things come out of disappointments and how much I trust God. Our conversation seemed to satisfy her four (almost five) year-old sense of justice.

Her comment left me thinking, though. I feel really peaceful about putting our adoption on hold. I'm looking forward to the precious time alone with our baby. My due date is the first day of school, so Amy will be going to Kindergarten, and Karissa will be in first grade, and I will have some special one on one time with Baby every morning. But I don't feel settled about the idea of God maybe saying, "No" altogether about our adoption.

We don't have much time. Our agency has basically given us approximately 6 months to decide if we want to continue or not, and then they will need to move our case to inactive. Inactive means if we ever decide to continue to adopt in the future, we will have to start over- application, new homestudy, paperwork, financially, everything. If we seek another referral before that six month window is up, everything we've done and paid so far can apply. As long as we stay in active status.

So, if after 6 months, we don't have the spiritual green light to proceed, I can't help but ask, "Why did You start this Lord? We certainly didn't start this whole thing. You did. So why? What was the purpose if we don't end up with a child at the end?"

When Rachel, our adoption coordinator, called the other day to talk through options with me, she helped me so much by sharing one of her own stories. She told me about a time before she was married when she was going through something that wasn't turning out "the way it is supposed to." She kept asking Jesus, "What was the purpose of this?" And His answer was, "Rachel, if the purpose of this was nothing more than making you more like me, would that be enough?" She said her answer at first was, "No- that's not a good enough reason." But she got to the point of being able to say, "Yes, Lord, if that is the only reason, it is enough."

The Westminster Catechism says that the chief end of man is, "To glorify God and enjoy Him forever." I believe that wholeheartedly. My purpose for being here is to love God, be loved by Him, enjoy Him, and glorify Him. I want my life to attract others to Him. Being Christlike is a part of that. If the only purpose of this whole crazy adoption journey is just to become more like Jesus, than yes, that is enough. No matter what, I know that He has been glorified through this experience, and I trust the truth of Isaiah 55:8-9.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." - Isaiah 55:8-9

I guess we'll all just have to "stay tuned" to see how He leads this family. I'm confident that whatever way He leads, it will be "just right."

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My American Idol Weekly Verdict

OK.....I know you fellow idolaters (ooh that is convicting, huh?) were waiting on the edge of your seat for Becky's weekly verdict, right? Hee Hee

This week was weird for me. (I thought that before Simon said it on the show) : )

I really think it was a mistake to do the same theme for two weeks in a row. There was an awesome energy level and excitement last week. The performers were excited and their performances were fun. This week, the performances all felt flat to me. I can't even think who I would choose as the star of the week. I was kind of bored.

(Note: Doing the Beatles theme two weeks in a row was a mistake, but it wasn't as much of a mistake as the show tunes theme a few seasons back. ZZZZzzzzzzZZZZZZZZ)

So here is my verdict:

Amanda: Simon said what I keep saying. Her performances are the same week after week. She seemed like she had a great time performing, but I think that if she doesn't change it up a bit and prove she can do something unique, she won't last. She might think ballads are boring, but all great rockers have done them, and I LOVE a good rock ballad.

David Cook: Despite the comment above, other than Jon Bon Jovi and a few 80's rock ballads, I really am not a rock fan. I listen to contemporary Christian music, so it surprises me how much I like him. I like his voice a lot and his performances always entertain me. Even this week, with a performance that, yes, Simon, was a little bit more of the same, I was entertained. Not enough to call him the star of the night but entertained.

David Archuleta: I was happy that he was able to recover from last week. I wish I could make myself love him like all of you do. He seems like a great kid and very deserving, but he makes me feel old. : ) It's like watching a little kid on stage. : )

Other thoughts:
Syesha did have a pretty good comeback from last week, but once again I have to agree with Simon......I would have loved to hear Brooke White sing "Yesterday" instead. I really love Brooke and hope she has a big comeback next week.

I'm thankful that there will be a new theme next week. I hope it will revive the contestants. Beatles were awesome last week, but I think a repeat of a theme, no matter what the theme, is a mistake.

My prediction for tonight is that Kristy Lee Cook will go home. I must brag a little and say I did call it last week, didn't I? : )

Oh, yeah! One more thing! I know I denied it before, but I was actually able to agree with you Jen and Joel. Jason Castro would look like a young John Travolta if he cut off the dreads! : )

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Blog Design

I am ashamed to admit it, but I have just spent the last 8 hours customizing my blog. If I close my eyes, all I can see is HTML code.


(Note: Thanks to my computer whiz brother, Ben, for widening my columns for me!)


I have much more I want to do, but I MUST MAKE MYSELF STOP!!!!! : )

For WFMW, I thought I'd share some of the websites that were a great help to me today. Before I do, I want to add a disclaimer so I don't scare away my family members that are considering blogging. Some of you have asked if blogging is hard to do, and the answer is, "It is only as difficult as you want to make it." : ) Blogger has great templates that are easy to use and you will never even need to know what HTML code is if you don't want to.


But if you find yourself bored with your current template and want to customize it a bit. Here are the links I found:

This one is a wealth of resources and tricks! Tips for New Bloggers


And this one helped me make my navigation bar: Real Life



This one was a great resource for choosing my colors: HTML Color Codes


Have fun making your blog your own!


BUT I need to add one more warning. If you click on the links above, hours will disappear, and your kitchen will end up looking like mine!

I can't believe I'm sharing that with the world! : )

To my fellow WFMW bloggers- Welcome! Thank you for visiting. Let me know you were here and feel free to look around.

To see other WFMW tips, click here.

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Still Experimenting

I am still experimenting with the look of my blog. It might look funny for awhile until I get it JUST RIGHT. : )

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Please Remember

(Note: Pat thinks I'm silly for worrying about this)

For the security and privacy of my family, I am working on making my blog more anonymous. I know that there are ways to figure out where we live and who we are, but as I work on making these changes, please help me by remembering the following when commenting:

1. Don't mention our hometown, state, or last name

2. Refer to my kids by their first names only, or Princess A and Princess K : )

3. Please don't mention Pat's profession

Thanks!

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Contact Me

I must confess that I am a comment junkie. I love knowing who has stopped by my blog, and I judge my blog posts by how many comments I receive. So please...comment away. When you do, please remember these guidelines.

I'd also love to hear from you. You can contact me at:

EverydayBecky@gmail.com

I will do my very best to answer emails, but as a busy, not so "super" mom, sometimes it takes me awhile. Thank you for understanding. : )

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About Me

Who I Am Today:

I was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest and continue to believe it is the most beautiful area of the world. I love the beauty and diversity of the Northwest and have no desire to live anywhere else.

I am a former public school teacher and currently a stay at home mom. I constantly say that I am living my Mom's dream. Although she longed to be home with us, she was never able to make that a reality. Seeing how much she desired what I now have, makes me so very grateful for the blessings of being "Just a Mommy."

The last three years have been the most challenging of my life as I've dealt with the heartache of four consecutive miscarriages and two failed adoption attempts. It has been a beautiful three years, however, as I've lived out my faith like never before and felt the incredible touch of love from Jesus.

After all of the losses, I am once again expecting a baby. We are celebrating each milestone crossed and each precious day of this pregnancy. Our whole family can't wait to meet this little one. We are all incredibly grateful for the gift of this little life.

When I am not busy being Mommy, I enjoy blogging, scrapbooking, as well as teaching a women's bible study and writing for my church's Women's Ministry.

My Dreams for the Future:

I am in the process of finishing my first non-fiction book and dream of pursuing a writing career in the future. I see this as my time of preparation and can't wait to see what God has in store.

For now, I am trying to be purposeful about enjoying every moment of my everyday life. I am blessed beyond measure and don't want to miss a moment of it living for the future.

As I said in my profile, above all else, I want to please God, know Him more, and make Him known.

<><

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Making Some Changes This Morning

Good Morning! : )

I'm playing around with the look of my blog this morning. It may look a little funny until I'm finished. : )

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And the Ultrasound Tech Guessed......

The Monster Truck vs. Cutie Pie Debate Continues : )
(See sidebar for explanation)



I promised that after I gave you enough time to enter in your own guesses, I'd let you know what the ultrasound technician guessed about the gender of our baby.

She wasn't convinced one way or the other. The baby is still so little, she wants another chance to take a look next month. But for now she is guessing.......


BOY : )


She said, "Don't go paint your room blue or anything, but I don't know what else that could be between his legs."

Later that afternoon, I was chatting with my sister-in-law, Angie, over Instant Messenger about our appointment, and she was reading everything I typed out loud to my brother, Ben, who was working from home.

My five-year-old nephew overheard her say that we saw something between the legs that we've never seen before. Jacob told his mom to tell me that he thinks "the thing between the legs that you've never seen before is a note from God." : )

My brother asked him what he thought the note said, and he answered, "I think it says it is a baby boy." : )

I thought that was pretty precious and wanted to remember it.

I will be thrilled to have a baby girl or a baby boy. I'm just so grateful to have a baby.

I have to admit though that I'm having visions of a little Pat, and Pat's having visions of Tonka Trucks. : )

My next ultrasound appointment is scheduled for April 15th. Hopefully, we'll have more conclusive evidence in the debate of Cutie Pie vs. Monster Truck.

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Redeeming My Time

Lysa TerKeurst is hosting an organizational tip swap at her blog today. I really wanted to participate, but I had a hard time finding anything that was worthy of posting.

But as I searched, I did come up with three things I wanted to share. The first two are quotes that I believe are key to a well-organized home and have become mantras for me:

1. "You can't organize clutter, you can only get rid of
it." - Fly Lady

2. "The more you own, the more
you are owned." - Old Japanese Proverb
(At least that was what I was told) : )

I was not born organized. In fourth grade, Mrs. Hall used to lovingly refer to me as her little "absent-minded professor." I spent many recesses inside at school cleaning out my desk, and the last day of school was always a nightmare as I tried to walk home carrying all I had accumulated in my desk throughout the school year.

My husband is very unsentimental about "stuff" and super organized. He was born with a gene I must have been lacking. Over the almost 9 years we have been married, he has taught me the value of letting go, giving away, and less is more. I have found so much joy in giving instead of hoarding.

Redeeming My Time:

The third tip I stumbled upon on accident today in my search for something great to post for this swap. : )

This tip has to do with organizing time. Time is so precious, but managing it well is the most difficult challenge I face as a stay-at-home mom. Time can be wasted so easily, and the biggest time-stealing culprit for me is the Internet.

I won't have to do this to my laptop now! : )

My laptop is a constant temptation. It opens, I fall in, and mysteriously, hours disappear. I love to learn, and the Internet is a limitless resource for learning. I have felt called to a writing/teaching/speaking ministry in the future, so a part of what I do online is read and study a lot of theologians and Christian authors and speakers in preparation for that ministry.

Today, I wanted to be able to clean and organize my home, hoping to stumble upon some hidden secret I could share on the blog swap. To free up time for myself, I decided to see if there was something online I could listen to instead of read. I found this WONDERFUL link:

http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/

From there, I was able to use my laptop to listen to some great radio programs and podcasts while I folded laundry and did dishes. As I moved to different rooms, my laptop went with me. Unlike listening to speakers on the radio, I could push pause anytime I needed, and I was able to listen to past broadcasts that interested me.

There are so many great speakers and programs on there like Kay Arthur, Beth Moore, Homemakers by Choice, Focus on the Family, Family Life Today, Proverbs 31 Ministries, etc.

By listening instead of reading, I was able to fill my Internet addiction, while still being effective in my homemaking. It doesn't completely cure my time-management dilemma, but it will help in redeeming my precious time. : )

I'm looking forward to visiting Lysa's site to see all of the organizational tips other bloggers will be sharing. You can click here to see them for yourself.

Here's to being organized! : )

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My American Idol Weekly Verdict

OK, here it is for all of you American Idol junkies like me. : ) My weekly verdict.

I thought the whole show was really entertaining last night. A few of the performers seem to be fizzling instead of improving, but the rest are just getting better and better every week. It is going to be tough to see any go.

The ones I think are vulnerable tonight are: Syesha, Ramiele, David Hernandez, and Kristy Lee Cook. If I had to pick just one, I'd predict David Hernandez is going home tonight. But it is a toss up for me between him and Ramiele.

Here's my picks:

Star of the night:
No doubt about it, Chikezie was the star. Who knew he could do that? His performance was a lot of fun and set the tone for the night. It was a hard act for Ramiele to follow.

Consistently bringing great performances week after week:
David Cook

Still Need to Find a Great Song:
My original favorites coming 0ut of Hollywood week were Carly Smithson and Michael Johns, but both have disappointed me a little. They are really talented, but haven't had their moments of shining yet. Carly did better last night than she has in the past. She's improving every week, too.

Rising to the Top:
The one who is really beginning to win my heart is Brooke White. She gets better every week and I love her style.

Why I'm not an Amanda Fan:
I know there are a lot of Amanda Overmyer fans out there, but here's why she's not my favorite. Every song sounds the same to me. When I try to imagine her album, I can't see myself enjoying it because she doesn't have any variety. She's a rocker, but Christ Daughtry was too, and he showed he could sing anything. She hasn't proven that to me yet.

Things that made me laugh:

Simon!

To Jason Castro:
"You sounded like a student in your room at midnight." Huh? If you DVR'd it last night, you should rewind it and look for the guy in the background trying to figure out what Simon is saying. He's semi bald with a navy and white Polo on. The look on his face is priceless. : )

Or how about to Kristy Lee Cook:
"You sounded like Dolly Parton on helium." You have to laugh at that one. : )

But nothing beats Paula a few weeks ago when she said to David Archuleta, "You're just so cute. I just want to squeeze you, and pop your head off, and hang you from my rear view mirror." (quoted from my memory) We had to rewind the DVR many times to hear that one over again. Run David, run! : )

Best News of All:
The results show has been moved to Wednesday instead of Thursday. Yippeee!!!! I hope that is a permanent change. We have Thursday night Bible Study homegroup to go to, and I always had to stay up really late to hear the results. I'm a happy girl!

Leave me a comment with your picks and reviews. : ) I'm just so glad there are other AI junkies out there with me.

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More on the Thought of the Day

(For an update on our baby and to see ultrasound photos click here. We need your input on the Cutie Pie Monster Truck debate.)

Earlier today, I posted “The Thought of the Day.” I have been thinking about this all day and wanted to add a little of my own thoughts to Lysa’s thoughts.

I was attracted to Lysa’s post today because it is a lesson that I am slowly beginning to understand.

Throughout my lifetime, I have been an overachiever. I was crushed my junior year of High School when I received an A- that ruined my perfect GPA. I was the student who always wanted to know about extra credit and was fiercely competitive with Philip House, who by the way maintained his 4.0 and went on to attend Oxford University.

I transferred that perfectionism to my Christianity. I knew intellectually the concept of grace, but I had not embraced it for myself. I wanted to be significant and special and to do great things for Jesus. I quickly became frustrated with my inability to maintain perfection.

Recently, I listened to a Jon Courson sermon that clarified this issue for me. He said that it isn’t about imitation, but impartation. We aren’t asked to “do” in our own strength. When we allow Him, Jesus comes into our hearts, imparts Himself, and gives us the ability to do what He asks of us. We just need to follow where He leads.

I know now that when I become aware of my imperfections and my failures, it is not a time to run and hide. It is not a time to beat myself up and wallow in discouragement. It is simply a red flag that says, “Run to Jesus.” When I run out of me, it just means I need more of Him.

Perfectionism lies to us and tells us we can be self-sufficient. Being the good little religious girl can deceive us into believing we are OK with God when we are really a million miles away from Him.

I also don’t want to glorify myself. I don’t want people saying, “What a good person Becky is!” I want people to look at my life and say, “Wow. I need Jesus, too.”

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Our Miracle

I had an ultrasound this morning and it went very well. I am overwhelmed with gratitude for our miracle.

If you are unfamiliar with ultrasounds, this picture may be difficult to understand what you are looking at. The baby is laying on his/her tummy and the stripe you see down the middle is the spine. Arms and legs are tucked underneath the baby in this photo, but we did confirm that there are two legs, two arms, two hands and feet. Baby measured perfectly for 16 weeks.

I have another ultrasound schedule for April 15th, so it will be good to look at everything again when the baby is slightly bigger. It was difficult to get a great view and we were never able to see Baby's face.

We did, however, look between the legs and.....

Any guesses?

I can't help you with what you are seeing here. I'm still slightly confused myself. I would love to hear your opinion about whether or not this picture settles the Monster Truck vs. Cutie Pie debate. (See sidebar for explanation)

The ultrasound tech had a guess, but I'll wait to post what she thinks until I hear what you all think. Any of you ultrasound experts out there have an opinion? I've looked at this picture a million and one times, and I'm still not sure one way or the other.

I am just so grateful that we left the ultrasound room this far in my pregnancy with smiles on our faces and in our hearts, instead of leaving with broken hearts. Thank You, Lord, for the blessing of this little life.

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made" - Psalm 139:14

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Thought of the Day

"Being a Christian can’t be about being perfect. Perfection is an impossible stance that makes hypocrites of us and skeptics of the watching world. Being a Christian that wants more than just a plastic religion to hang a piece of their identity upon will involve a shift from trying to be perfect to becoming perfectly surrendered to Jesus and the pursuit to simply follow Him." - Lysa TerKeurst

To read more click here.

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My Weekend at Wal-Mart

The On-Going Adventures of Becky the Super Mom:

There is just something about Wal-Mart on the weekend that brings out the ugly in me. : )

Saturday:

I heard a voice say, "Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to:

1. Buy new shoes, sweat pants, and new socks for Princess #1, and bacon for family breakfast
2. Fill the car with gas
3. Cook family breakfast
4. Eat family breakfast and enjoy it....because it is Saturday and it's tradition, right?
5. Get family to Princess #1's AWANA games that are being held a half hour drive away.

You have 90 minutes to accomplish all of the above."

After the message self-destructed, off to Wal-Mart we went. : )

Here's what it looked like:

Me: Hurry girls

(Repeated at least one hundred times)

Me: You have to walk faster girls. You need to walk as fast as Mommy.

Me: (Glancing back to see both princesses half a mile away, one carrying the pound of bacon on top of her head) Don't put raw meat on top of your head!!!! Did I mention that we are in a hurry?

Me: Stop touching that!!! Just stand here and stay still and DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING! WE ARE IN A HURRY!!!

The check-out lady was looking at me with sympathy, but being the mind-reader that I am, I know the woman behind me in line was thinking, "Chill out mama. Those poor precious babies! How come you are being so mean?"

(Of course she could have been mentally going through her grocery list to make sure she didn't miss anything, but the Mommy guilt in me said otherwise.)

We made it home, had breakfast, filled the tank with gas, and miraculously made it to the AWANA games on time. But OH the stress and high blood pressure and guilt it took to get there!

Sunday:

I woke up on Sunday morning with a bad head cold and by afternoon, I was feeling ready to get out of the house. My husband needed to run to Wal-Mart and get some supplies to fix our girls' bikes. I asked if we could make it a family outing so I could get out. Princess #1 had a birthday party to go to later that afternoon, and I needed to buy a present anyway. (I know....I was already at Wal-Mart yesterday, why didn't I pick up one then? Good question.)

An hour and a half before the birthday party, we were finally ready to leave. King Charming offered to go alone and pick up the gift so I could have time to get Princess ready for her party. But, no, I suffered short-term insanity and insisted that I needed to get out of the house.

There I was again. In Wal-Mart. On a weekend. In a hurry. As we ran around the store trying to find the perfect gift, Princess #1 wasn't looking where she was going and stepped on the back of my flip flop and completely broke it!

I was hobbling around the store with only one shoe, until of course, Princess #2 stepped on the back of my other flip-flop and broke that one! I was in Wal-Mart. On a weekend. In a hurry and SHOELESS!

(Please don't ask why I was wearing flip-flops in Wal-Mart in Winter. King Charming already did and it is so beside the point.) : )

Before we left the store, King Charming asked me if I needed wrapping paper for the gift, and I said, "Oh, no, we have plenty of gift bags."

Guess what? With only 30 minutes remaining before the party, all of our gift bags were at least one inch too narrow for this gift to fit into and there was no wrapping paper in the house.

As I tried to use tissue paper to wrap the gift, two dispensers of Scotch tape ran out, leaving me gift-bagless, wrapping-paperless, and tapeless. At least I wasn't shoeless anymore. : )

My wonderful neighbor, Marisa, rescued me and we made it to the party in the nick of time.

This time I was able to laugh at myself, but I'm beginning to realize something. Unless I get it under control, procrastination is going to be the death of me, and I'm sure I'll be late to my own funeral. : )

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Sunday Morning Breakfast

We are having Aunt Angie's baked oatmeal this morning for breakfast. : )

My sister-in-law, Angie, made this for us the last time we visited. We were hooked. It's baking right now, and it smells so good, I thought I'd post the recipe so your house can smell like ours does right now. : )

The girls are running around going "Yippee, yippee. We are having Aunt Angie's oatmeal, Aunt Angie's oatmeal."

Baked Oatmeal

Ingredients
2 cups uncooked quick-cooking oats
(I use Old Fashioned Oats and they work fine, too)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup raisins
(Angie uses Craisins instead and it's yummy that way, too)
1 tablespoon chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon of salt
1 1/2 cups fat-free milk
1/2 cup applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 large egg, beaten Cooking spray

Preparation
Preheat oven to 375°.

Combine the first 7 ingredients in a medium bowl. Combine the milk, applesauce, vanilla, butter, and egg. Add milk mixture to oat mixture; stir well. Pour oat mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes. Serve warm.
Yield
5 servings (serving size: 2/3 cup)

Originally from Cooking Light magazine. (we added the vanilla)

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Drop Everything and Dance

It doesn't matter what the girls and I are doing, if this song comes on the radio, we HAVE to drop everything and dance. We were in the middle of a spaghetti dinner last night when it came on. Of course, we had to get up from the table and boogie down in the kitchen. : )

I tried to post the video to my blog, but You Tube didn't like me this morning. Here's the link:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ovJyv_zseUc

I'll post the lyrics, too, so you can sing along. In the fun of the moment, don't miss the lyrics.....they answer the meaning of life question.

Warning: You will be compelled to move when you listen to this song. : )

Lyrics:
Verse 1
The dream is fading, now I'm staring at the door
I know its over cause my feet have hit the cold floor
Check my reflection, I ain't feelin what I see
It's no mystery
Whatever happened to a passion I could live for
What became of the flame that made me feel more
And when did I forget that...

Chorus
I was made to love you
I was made to find you
I was made just for you
Made to adore you
I was made to love
And be loved by you
You were here before me
You were waiting on me
And you said you'd keep me
Never would you leave me
I was made to love
and be loved by you

Verse 2
The dream's alive with my eyes opened wide
Back in the ring you've got me swinging for the grand prize
I feel the hate is spittin vapors on my dreams
But I still believe
I'm reachin out, reachin up, reachin over
I feel a breeze cover me called Jehovah
And Daddy I'm on my way
Cause I was made to love...

Chorus

Bridge
Anything I would give up for you
Everything, I'd give it all away
(Repeat 3x)

I was made to love you
I was made to adore you, made just for you
(Repeat 3x) (less)

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Feelings Vs. Truth

(If you are here for Lysa's recipe swap, you can click here to skip to that post. I'm sorry that I forgot to link directly to that post)

Arriving at a huge road block in our adoption journey has not been easy. My emotions have been all over the map.

My feelings have been telling me God has tricked us and betrayed us. I remember the call He placed on my heart and my husband's heart. Neither one of us desired to adopt, but God did an amazing and miraculous work on both of us that led us to the point of being able to say, "Yes."

Then our hearts moved from being able to say yes, to desiring this new child very much. But our journey to obey has met obstacle after obstacle and now we are unable to move forward. Whether or not this is a temporary or permanent stop along the way, we don't know.

So, is it true that God tricked us into wanting this, into beginning the journey? Did He set me up for further disappointment? Can I trust my feelings as trustworthy? The answer to all of the above is no.

I am so grateful that truth is not dependent upon how I feel or upon circumstances I don't understand. God has given me a resource for unchanging Truth, the standard to measure all circumstances against. The Bible.

I can see the fault in my emotions by reading this:

"Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you." Hebrews 13:5

"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

I can trust the call we heard by reading this:

"When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice." John 10:4

I can trust God's heart for orphans by reading this:

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27

I can learn how to respond to this by reading this:

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6

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Lysa's Recipe Swap

One of my favorite bloggers, Lysa TerKeurst, is hosting a recipe swap today. For all of you visiting from Lysa's, welcome to my new blog.

Lysa, this recipe always gets rave reviews and is super easy to make. I begged for it from my friend Tonia and make it often.

Tonia's Enchilada Casserole:

1 Chopped Onion
2 TBSP Butter
3 - 4 Chicken Breasts diced
1 can of Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 can of Cream of Chicken Soup
1/2 cup Chicken Broth
1 can diced green chilies (mild or hot: I use 1/2 of a small can each of the hot and mild green chilies. That seems to be the perfect combo for our taste buds)
4 small Flour Tortillas
8 oz. shredded Cheddar Cheese (can use as much as 16 oz, but 8 oz. is usually enough)

Saute onion and butter, add chicken and cook through. Add soups, broth, and chilies. Bring to a boil.

Layer tortillas, sauce, and cheese 2 times. Bake at 350 for 35- 45 minutes.

Serve over sticky rice (I think Niko Niko brand Cal-Rose Rice is the best, but any brand of Cal-Rose will work) and with plenty of sour cream. Yum!

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My Baby Turns 6!

Yesterday was my baby's sixth birthday. That can't be possible! Where did six years go?

Here are the cupcakes ready to be transported to her kindergarten classroom:

I'll do a blog post soon on how to make these fun cupcakes- Stay Tuned : )

Here the Birthday Girl is serenaded by her classmates. They gave her six "hip-hip-hurrays" and no one ate their cupcakes until she took the first bite.

This little girl is known for her determination. I wrote in her baby scrapbook how much fun it was to watch her learning to crawl. She worked so hard and wouldn't give up despite the rug burns on her little knees. She was going to become mobile if it killed her! She did master it......at 5 1/2 months......(Note: New Baby will be encouraged to stay immobile for as long as possible. : )

This picture is of her enjoying her brand new pogo-stick. She is having so much fun learning this new trick. I'm amazed at how much she's picked up on it in one day. Early this morning, as she crawled into my lap after waking up, she said, "Mommy, I was laying in bed and all I could think about was I have to go get on my pogo-stick." : )

It was a special birthday. She even got to eat dinner on the "You Are Special" plate that Grandma and Grandpa made for us.

Happy Birthday Sweetheart. I love you!

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Why A New Blog?

I have been blogging for over a year now, so why did I feel the need for a new blog?

I began my other blog to keep friends and family updated as we tried to adopt from Liberia, West Africa. It was a perfect forum for bringing our loved ones along for the journey, and it allowed me to connect with some new, amazing friends in the adoption world.

Circumstances outside of our control, including two failed adoption attempts and now pregnancy, as well as other things, have forced us to put our adoption process on hold until God says, "Go."

Although the adoption blog has been such a blessing, I've noticed that I have been so focused on future events and the stress of our adoption process, I haven't been celebrating the countless blessings that our mine right now.

I'm excited to observe, process, and celebrate my everyday life. That's the meaning behind the title, Everyday Becky. Come on in, sit down on my couch, and let's talk.

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My American Idol Weekly Verdict

I admit.....



I'm an American Idol Junkie.


Here's my verdict for the week:


Guys took the week and out sung the girls.


Star of the Week: David Cook

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Welcome

Welcome to my new blog. Some of you have been faithful readers of my adoption blog. I thank you for making the leap to this new site. : )

I felt like I wanted a new place to express myself and share my everyday life. I hope you enjoy this new project.

Love,

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