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About Me
I am a wife to the man of my dreams! We've been married for nearly three years now and I couldn't imagine my life without him in it! I am also a mom to a seven month old daughter who I absolutely adore! I love the Lord with all my heart...without Him in my life I would not be where I am today! I am enjoying the balancing act of being a stay at home mom and wife and, together with my husband, am enjoying our wonderfully blessed life!!
Motivation For Moms
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A Positive Reminder-Encouraging Devotionals
Posted by jennasue
Sometimes it's easy to get discouraged when life isn't going the way you think it should. It's at those moments that we need to remember to remain positive and know that God has something wonderful instore for us! My mom receives encouraging daily devotionals in her e-mail each day. She often forwards them to Scott and I...especially when she knows that there's something we're dealing with specific to what that devotion is talking about. The latest one she sent was about those times in life when maybe we're believing in God for something but it's not happening when we'd like it to. There are some things in our life right now that seem to go that way at times...but as the devotional talked about...no matter how long you've been waiting it's important not to give up and continue to have faith in God. He knows the right time for things...and His plan for us is the absolute best. Isn't it neat how in times of discouragement God can lift us up with an encouraging passage of scripture or devotion? I think it's awesome how this happens. After receiving this devotion it helped me remember that God is faithful and His promises are true! If we declare His promises over our lives and surround ourselves with those who are positive as well...our hearts will be at peace knowing God is working everything out!
Encouragement in Busy Times
Posted by jennasue
Lately life has been extremely busy and hasn't seemed to let up. Between the home improvements we're embarking on, as well as Scott working 14 hours a day/6 days a week...it makes it hard to find any time to relax. This busy schedule has been going on for quite a while...and it's odd to say, but it's actually something that we're beginning to get use to. We know that things are a bit hectic right now and that we can only get done so much in a day. It gets a little overwhelming at times, but "this too shall pass". Soon our basement will be finished and such a wonderful place to spend time together as I family...I can't wait. All of this busyness is well worth it!
In the beginning, when our schedule seemed to increasingly become more and more busy...it was a bit overwhelming! As a stay-at-home-mom I am kept very busy...and with Scott working so much and everything else that is going on...I was feeling exhausted. I've learned through these busy times though, how important it is to keep my focus on Christ, amidst all that is going on. I recently came across the lyrics of a song by DC Talk, "Day By Day" and it really encouraged me and got me thinking.
Thoughts on Marriage
Posted by jennasue
Seeing how it's our wedding anniversary today, and my parent's anniversary of 29 years just a couple of days ago...it had me thinking of the wonderful union of marriage that God has created! It can be so wonderful if we seek Him in all we do, and make the Lord the center of our lives! I happened to stumble across a neat article about Jason and Jennifer Barton. Many may have heard of them, as Jason sings in the Christian band, 33 miles! This article was all about their marriage and what it means to them. Everything they had to say was right on in my opinion...and things I could completely relate to.
Basically, when they got married, they made a decision that divorce was not even an option for them. Marriage is not something you can just take back or return if it's not working out, which is their main point when they discuss God's design for marriage and the promise to stay together forever, one that is never to be broken. The binding promises that they have made to one another gives them the assurance that no matter what trials they may go through in their marriage, it will not change the love that they have for one another. Their faith in God is what gets them through! A neat thing that they spoke of was a selfless love. The kind of love where you put the other before yourself and the idea of working as a team.
I really enjoyed reading all that they had to say about being married and keeping the vows you have made to one another without even allowing the word divorce to enter your marriage. I agree with them 100%! It is not something to be taken lightly and I am glad that there are still people out there who think the same way we do.
Laser Hair Therapy
Posted by jennasue
Scott and I both know people who have dealt with hair loss. We were talking about the other night after watching a show on television about the effects of hair loss on people's self-esteem and decided that if either one of us had to deal with that...we would look into Aventi Laser Hair Therapy. They offer both men and women hair restoration methods that work! What I like about them is that their services are perfect for those who are just starting to lose hair or those who just want to revive their hair a little bit. It's a company that I enjoyed learning more about and wanted to pass it on to others as well. Check out their site for more information about California laser hair therapy.
Three Year Anniversary
Posted by jennasue
Today is a very happy day for Scott and I...we are celebrating our 3rd wedding anniversary! I can't believe it's already been that long...time sure does fly when you're having fun! I know that's what everyone says...but it's so true! I am so blessed to have someone like Scott as my husband. He's the most generous, loving, and sweet man I know! Our lives have changed so much over the past three years of our marriage...and it keeps getting better! We're both done with college, Scott has a good job, we've bought our first home, and had our first baby! The Lord has truly blessed us, and we're so looking forward to the blessings He has in store for us as the years continue to go by!!
Usually Scott and I just get each other a card on our Anniversary and most times go out for supper or to a movie or something. This year, having Kaelyn, we'll probably just stay home and relax. We have lots of movies that we haven't watched yet...so that may be an idea as well. Since we typically give cards, I was surprised to wake up and find that Scott had bought me a little gift along with his card. He knows how much I love Willow Angels, so he got me the big "promise" one with the couple who is dancing. It was so sweet of him...he is the best!!
Peaceful Waterfront Community
Posted by jennasue
Often Scott and I will dream about living somewhere quiet and beautiful. Maybe not living in a place like that, but definitely visiting. It's busy times in our lives like right now, that make us want to take a trip to a waterfront community like that at Smith Mountain Lake. What's so great about this community you ask? Well it's a peaceful and natural place...away from everything. It's on the waterfront there by Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains...having scenery that's truly amazing!! Doesn't that sound wonderful? The Coves have everything I have been looking for when it comes to amenities and environmental beauty! If you'd like to learn more, check out their site for yourself. This is where I have been getting much of my information lately.
Dealing with Disappointment...
Posted by jennasue
Although a bit crazy, this past weekend turned out to be very enjoyable! We had plans for Father's Day on both Saturday and Sunday, but a few difficult circumstances happened Saturday...leaving us emotionally drained and sending us to our knees in prayer. Thankfully we had plans on Sunday with my wonderful parents! It was incredibly refreshing to see them and spend the day with them. It gave us a chance to clear our heads and remember that there are amazing people in our lives who love us unconditionally!
Sometimes disappointment and heartbreaking circumstances come our way. In these situations it's important to turn to loved ones, and most importantly, the Lord. He is our rock!! Isn't it great that he never disappoints?! He is always there, through the good times and bad. I cannot imagine not having Him in our lives. It's also important to continue to show God's love and forgiveness, even in the toughest of situations. It's not always easy, but in the end God will take care of the rest. If we can't make the conscious decision to forgive, then there's no way we can move on with absolute peace.
Gas Prices Over $4.00
Posted by jennasue
I read some really startling news today... did you know that over night, the average price of gas rose to above $4.00!! I couldn't believe it. For the average, middle-class family it's hard enough to make it with the way our economy is these days...and then to have gas be this expensive...it's ridiculous!! WOW! The sad thing is, a person shouldn't have to think twice before traveling short distances just because of gas prices...but with the way it continues to rise...people don't have a choice but to conserve on their driving. It's been said that gas typically reaches a high around Memorial Day and then decreases throughout the summer. As one might have noticed, this is not how our summer is going thus far. It has been far from typical when it comes to the unbelievable increase in gas prices! Reading this news got me wondering if and when the gas prices will drop again and how many people this is financially affecting like myself.
Baby Noises
Posted by jennasue
No matter what time of day, or where we're at...Kaelyn is always entertaining us with her wonderful little personality! It's so fun to see her personality coming through more and more...she's such a neat little girl!! This weekend she was very happy...and definitely was enjoying making noises and listening to her voice. We've noticed so many changes lately when it comes to the noises she makes. If we say something, especially something that starts with a D, B, or P...she beings saying that letter...like babababa, or papapapa! It's so neat. She was doing that this weekend a lot, but also was squealing and really enjoying herself which was beyond cute! :) My brother was visiting and enjoyed her squealing and noises so much that he caught her on video with his phone. I just had to share it.... Labels: Children, Family, Motherhood, Parenting
Mammatus Clouds Pictures : Rare Rounded Cloud
Posted by jennasue
As Scott and I continue working on our basement, we find that our trips to Home Depot are becoming more and more frequent! I personally really enjoy looking around this store...as there are just so many neat things that would be fun to have in our home one day. Tonight we were there looking for some electrical supplies and as we neared the front of the store, looked out the window. I must note that all day today we've been under tornado warnings and severe thunderstorm warnings. When we looked out the window the entire sky looked almost green...very weird, and indicative of more tornado type weather. We decided that we better leave and head home, and to our surprise when we walked out of the store we saw something even more bizarre....these clouds! I have never seen something quite like this in my whole life and just had to share them with other readers. They were sure beautiful, but a little eerie too.
Enjoying Where We Live
Posted by jennasue
Scott and I were recently talking about how much we like living here. When we first moved here I wasn't too sure how I'd like it. It was a little further from home than I would have liked, and I just thought it might be a bit too large. Now that we've been here over a year, I've definitely come to enjoy all we have here. Not only is the town not nearly as big as I had thought it was...but there's so much to do!! Now that we have Kaelyn, it's nice that there are things for us to do as a family. There's a lake, lots of walking paths, parks, fairs, even an annual Renaissance Festival where everyone dresses up in renaissance costumes!! I guess there are perks to living in a little bigger town...and the great thing is we're still very close to our families!!
Going on a Cruise
Posted by jennasue
Everyone in my family loves to vacation. As children we got to go so many fun places...they're memories I will cherish forever. It's so nice, because even though we're all grown and starting our own families...my parents still enjoy trying to plan some vacations that we can take together. I know they've gone on vacations with all three of us kids and our spouses/significant others at separate times over the years.
Not all that long ago, my mom was talking about how fun it would be for all of us adults to go on a cruise together in the future. A cruise is one thing I've never done. I hear it's fantastic though, and would be open to the ideal of looking into cruise deals and seeing what we could find. It probably wouldn't be a vacation that we'd take our kids on...but would still be a blast being able to go with the adults in the family. I'm really excited just thinking about it and hope at some point we get to go.
Great 6 Month Pics
Posted by jennasue
I was so excited to find out that Kaelyn's 6 month pictures came in a week early. We went to get them yesterday and they turned out great! There are 7 different poses, and we got lots of prints of each one!! We always like to get enough for family to choose from. The Grandparents especially enjoy this! I knew that all 7 turned out pretty good, but I didn't know I'd like all of them as much as I do. It's going to be a hard decision to decide which ones to hang in the frames I have her 3 month pictures in right now. I may just have to buy more frames so I can hang all of them ;) We'll have to see...I'm just glad we got a lot of good ones to choose from. Labels: Children, Family, Motherhood, Parenting
Picking up these pictures yesterday did get me thinking about how quickly time goes though. we got these pictures taken when she was 6 months old, and now she is nearly 7 1/2 months old...where does the time go!?
Jewelry at Tateossian.com
Posted by jennasue
Have you noticed all of the ads and such for jewelry this month? For the past couple of weeks, I've been receiving lots of jewelry flyers, as well seeing ads around for accessories. I suppose it's because Mother's Day is right around the corner. Personally, I enjoy seeing the ads and flyers. It's fun to look through them and see the different things people will be buying. Recently I came across Tateossian.com. This is a site that offers really high quality men and women's accessories. What's great about them is that they offer a unique line of products, but also timeless pieces as well. It's great if you're looking for anything from semi-precious stones, fiber optic glass or even CRYSTALLIZED™ - Swarovski Elements. I really enjoyed browsing through their site, and thought others would as well. Who knows...maybe you'll even find a Mother's Day gift, like a bracelet or early an Father's Day gift, like Silver Cufflinks?! Check it out and see! Labels: Family, Internet, Motherhood
John Deere Baby Clothes
Posted by jennasue
My little brother has been working for John Deere since he graduated from college last year. He really loves it and the type of work he does is write up his alley!! It's actually kind of fun. John Deere is really big here where we live, and we often see all sorts of John Deere apparel, toys, etc. that are perfect for Kaelyn. We haven't gotten her any yet, but Uncle Jake has.;) For Christmas this year he got her a John Deere dinnerware set (with a plate and cup). And, when she was first born, he bought her a SUPER cute John Deere outfit...bibs, onesie and even jean jacket!! When she was first born it was a bit too big, but a couple of days ago I tried it on her again and it fits perfectly! I was really excited, as it's a cute outfit that she can wear at home or out and about. I'm hoping that it will fit her for quite some time now, so that we can get much use out of it and even show Uncle Jake when he visits sometime...he'd really like that!
Making Your Dr Visits Shorter
Posted by jennasue
About a month ago I had a doctor's appointment. It was still quite cold out at that time, and I really didn't want to have to take Kaelyn out in it if I didn't have to. I decided that it would be better to get someone to watch her. I hadn't ever had anyone babysit her before, but who better to be the first than my Dad! He was more than willing and had so much fun with her!!:) Kaelyn sure loves her Grampa!!
I went to my appointment a little early, hoping to get in and out. Unfortunately that is not what happened...not a big surprise for a doctor's office, right?! I sat in the waiting room far too long, and on top of that, had to sit in the room quite a while too. As if that wasn't bad enough, my doctor then left me waiting so she could go and do some research on a prescription that she was going to give me for my migraines. I am nursing still and she needed to see which would be safe to take. I recently read that Epocrates came out with medical drug reference software for PDA's. This allows healthcare professionals to locate answers to their questions regarding drug dosing, healthcare coverage, side effects and more, quickly and easily! Boy would this have been nice during my appointment!! Over 500,000 healthcare professionals currently use the software, and that number continues to grow as they make it available for Blackberries and soon iPhone.
I thought this was a great technological advancement, and one more doctor's should take advantage of. Hopefully by the next time I go to the doctor, mine will have heard about this great option so my doctor visit can be half the time. I wish this would have been the case last time, for it would have been nice to spend more time with my Dad while he was there.
New Stroller
Posted by jennasue
A while back I commented on stroller rides. It's been something that Kaelyn and I have been doing a lot of recently now that the weather is so much nicer! She sure loves it. I had said how we were going to be looking for a lightweight stroller, something easier to push around than the one we had. Well...my parents are the sweetest, and they knew our need for a stroller like this...so they got us one down in Texas while they were on vacation! They're the best.:) The stroller is exactly what we were looking for, and has already been used more times than I can count. Kaelyn loves it too....so that's great! I foresee us using it many more times over the summer months.
Father's Day
Posted by jennasue
I like to think ahead for certain holidays, especially now that we have a baby and life is busier. Father's Day has been on my mind lately, because this year I will be looking to buy Scott something nice. I am not quite sure what to do for him. I've talked about possibly getting him something for his absolute favorite sport...golf! But then I was thinking that we have all of this work to do on our house and Scott would really like some DeWalt tools. He wants to learn how to do more and more projects around the house and having some nice tools would really make him happy. We'll have to see what I can find before June rolls around. I don't really know the first thing about tools...I may have to ask my Dad what he thinks.
True Meaning of Easter
Posted by jennasue
My husband and I watch the Passion of the Christ movie every year around Easter time. It's the most moving movie I've ever seen and helps to remind me of exactly what Christ has done for me. He lived, He died, and He ROSE AGAIN! He took my sin and my pain upon Himself so that I could be saved and can live eternally with Him one day! Isn't He amazing?!?!! How exciting to know that because I have given Him my life, putting my faith and trust in Him completely, and through acceptance of Him and believing in Him I will spend eternity in Heaven with Him one day!!:) I am just speechless when I think of all He's done for us, how much He loves us, and how much He continues to do for us everyday! With that said, I recently came across a short clip from YouTube that I wanted to share with everyone...remember what Christ has done for you, not only this time of year, but throughout the entire year and surrender your life to Him...He is the "way, the truth and the life"; and NO man will come unto the Father but by Him!(John 14:6) He's the ONLY way!!
Summer Vacation
Posted by jennasue
A great place that Scott and I were talking we'd like to visit sometime in the near future is Branson. We've always thought it would be fun to take a mini vacation there and to bring Kaelyn as well. I've heard that they have all sort of things to do. Scott and I both really enjoy golf, so I know that we'd probably want to take advantage of the Branson private golf clubs there. They also are supposed to have wonderful restaurants and other fun entertainment things. It sounds like a lot of fun and something we may have to look into doing this summer sometime.
