Silly Sisters Saturday {Rainbow Brite Edition}

Today is another Silly Sisters Saturday when kids get to join the fun and blog or vlog themselves!  Let your kid write a post, make a funny video and then link up here at the bottom of this post.

In this edition of Silly Sisters Saturday, Emmy talks about Rainbow Brite and the interactive CD we previewed.  I have a few extra copies that we will mail out to 2 random participants this week!

This Rainbow Brite Adventure Pack CD has games, puzzles, coloring pages, and much more!

Enter you Silly Sisters Saturday link above and then leave a comment to be entered into the drawing for the Rainbow Brite Interactive CD for you kids.  Two winners will be drawn sometime on Sunday using Random.org.

Happy 3rd Birthday To Micah!

Dear Micah,

We celebrated your 3rd birthday on Tuesday the 23rd…the day you were born.  Where has the time gone?  How did 3 years fly by this fast?

You have grown into a little boy this past year.  I think it has probably been your biggest year, not that there are many years to top!  However, in the past year you have learned to walk, run, jump, talk, sing, and how to use your humor to get you out of trouble and wrap yourself around the fingers of anyone standing nearby.

Mommy and Daddy have loved watching you learn how to show your love for us and your sisters with hugs, kisses, and little Eskimo kisses, too.

You spend most of your days playing with your trucks, tractors, skidders, loaders, and log trucks.  Your favorite movies have been Cars and Grandpa’s DVD of the mill along with any and all episodes of Might Machines.

Micah Matthew, we love you so much and thank God for the 3 years He has given us with you thus far.  We pray for many more, but we know that you belong to God and we want your life to bring glory and honor to Him above all else.

Love, Mommy & Daddy

When It Snows…

On nights when it’s cold and snowing outside, I sit in my comfy blue chair and read a good book while my husband watches hunting DVDs in the playroom.

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Oh, and if you’re sitting in your comfy chair on a snowy night, check out this post where I was featured!  {blushing}  Thanks Traci!

Everything In 2010 – Week 9

It’s week 9 already!  Are you ready for a new goal for the week?  Here’s my latest vlog all about the newest goal!

Click here to read more Everything in 2010 posts.

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Thanks go to Jamie from Mommy’s Camera for the blog button for this series.  Visit her!

My Bible Reading Plan

I desire to grow in my relationship with Jesus Christ and there are two very important things that help me know Him more and more.  The first is reading His Word - the Bible - and the second is through spending time in prayer.

To help me be consistent in my Bible reading I have borrowed the plan that John MacArthur uses and you can watch this video where I vlog about it and explain the details. 

For those of you who want to join me in this plan, here is the written layout of which book of the New Testament I will read each month.  I have listed this year’s schedule and will post the remaining list when I have chosen the order. 

2010

January – Philippians
February – Titus
March – Matthew
April – 1 Peter
May – Mark
June – 2 Peter
July – 1 Timothy
August – Luke
September – 2 Timothy
October – John
November – 1 Thessalonians
December – 2 Thessalonians

(This post is linked to Works For Me Wednesday)

Blog Button

Your vote counts here in the trenches and I need it.  Badly.

I had a blog button contest, which you can read about here, and now I am having a terrible time deciding which button wins.

So now it’s up to you…the reader…to help me pick a button to use when I do my own “pastor’s wife posts”.

{drumroll please….}

Your choices are:

Button One:

 

Button Two:

Button Three:

Button Four:

Now cast your vote on in the poll box on my sidebar.  The voting closes on March 13th (which is my birthday!) so get your votes in soon!

Link To Me? Show Up Here!

Hello Friends!

I guess most of you are aware of my recent domain switch over from blogspot to .com.  You probably also noticed that I lost both of my link lists.

{Boo hoo…. Sniff, sniff….}

So since you’re my friends and all I know you’ll be willing to help me!  If you link to me, please comment here and leave your blog link so I can add you to my link list.  Okay?!

Okay!!!

If you link up to me, you can show up here!

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Join me at To Read, Or Not To Read to check out some value fiction for this spring!

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I’m linking up to Tackle It Tuesday because this is a tackle I’m doing with your help and to Toot Your Own Horn Tuesday because you all get to toot your own horn here by allowing me to link to you if you link to me!  I guess you could say we’re all tooting today! :-)

Simple Woman’s Daybook {2.22.10}

Outside my window...
Cloudy white skies, it looks like we’re going to get snow soon.

I am thinking...
about all the stuff I need to do today to get ready for what my week holds and for the Pampered Chef party I am having  tonight.

I am thankful for...
the love of my husband who loves me no matter what. {sweet sigh}

From the learning rooms...
working  with Micah about obeying the very first time he is told to do something. I think this lesson is just as hard for Mommy as it is for little boy.

From the kitchen...
no bake cookies, rolls, salad, and more food for tomorrow’s birthday celebration.

I am wearing...
jeans and an old brown shirt while I’m cleaning, but as soon as I’m done posting this I’ll be getting another shower and getting dressed for tonight.

I am creating...
a clean home.

I am going...
to be taking Micah out for breakfast with my Mom tomorrow for his birthday, running to the grocery store today…more, but I can’t remember right now!

I am reading...
Dancing With My Father by Sally Clarkson

I am hoping...
for good weather tonight for the PC party and on Saturday so my in-laws can come visit for Justin & Micah’s birthdays.

I am hearing...
the sound of hammers from next door where are neighbors are putting on an addition.

Around the house...
it’s clean! Woot woot! Now to KEEP it clean! HA!

One of my favorite things...
a handful of chocolate chips.

A few plans for the rest of the week:
I can’t remember right now…just focused on getting through today!

Music Monday {2.22.10}

It’s Music Monday and today’s theme is to pick your favorite band/artist.

Is that even possible!?!

Well, I have so many that it makes this both easy and hard.  Here is just one of my many favorite groups…

Enjoy!

Hindsight Is Not Always 20/20

So I was driving down the highway this morning* on my way home from picking up a few things at Walmart when I looked down at my speedometer and realized I was going faster than I should be.  Like at least 10 miles over the speed limit.  It really is not like me to do that, but the way the part of the road is it makes it easier to speed without even realizing you are. 

*This morning does not mean this morning since I schedule my posts, but it was this morning when I sat down to write the post!

I quickly looked in my right hand mirror to see if any flashing lights were behind me.  Then I glanced in my left mirror and finally my rear-view mirror.  It didn’t seem like it took me that long to do a quick 3-point mirror check, but by the time I looked ahead again, my vision was messed up from looking backwards so much.

It was in that moment that I realized that hindsight is not always a good thing.  Sometimes when we look backwards it messes up our forward vision.

In fact, Paul says something about this in Philippians…take a look for yourself:

“Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained.” – Philippians 3:12-16

Hindsight can be helpful in some situations, but it’s not always a help.  If I looked back on my life all the time, I think I would fall down in a heap and not take another step.  But because I look ahead to the future God has for me – becoming more and more like His son – I can keep pressing on, knowing that everything is helping me to grow in my walk with Christ.  The more I look ahead, the clearer my vision becomes.

From the trenches of motherhood…where I am looking forward to Christ’s return…

-Mandy the Trench Mommy

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• Jesus Lives by Sarah Young (readornotread.blogspot.com)

Silly Sisters Saturday {2.20.10}

Silly Sister Saturday is when the kids get to blog…or vlog!  So have your kids write, sing, tell a story, or show off a their favorite toy and then link up below!

Six Word Saturday {2/20/10}

Reading books like a mad woman!

Home Again, Home Again!

I’m back home after enjoying a week in Lafayette, Indiana for the Biblical Counseling Training Conference. 

It was wonderful to be saturated in the Word for a week.  My goal is to become a NANC certified Biblical counselor in the next year. 

Here are a few pictures from Faith’s Flikr stream.

Me with the sandwich in hand – my brother & sister-in-law-to-be

Hearing James MacDonald on Tuesday night.

One of my favorite speakers, Stuart Scott.

Watching an observation video.

Elyse Fitzpatrick…another of my favorites of the week.

Everything In 2010 – Week 7 & 8

For those of you who are new to this post series, you can catch up here with the first post, and for the rest of you – grab a cup of hot chocolate and enjoy my 6 minute plus vlog!

Here is the Bible Reading Plan link that I referred to in the above vlog.

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Thanks go out to Jamie from Mommy’s Camera for the great series button.

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HEY! Did you know that there is a button contest going on here in the trenches? Read this for the details on how to enter and maybe you could win the prize of having your name linked in some of my posts just like Jamie’s is above!

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JOIN ME IN MY COMMUNTY FORUM TO TALK ABOUT HOW YOUR GOALS ARE GOING THIS YEAR!

WFMW: Word Verification

Today over at We Are That Family, it’s Works For Me Wednesday.  I just knew you all would be on the edge of your seat waiting for my tip today.

Right?

Hello?  Is this thing on?

Okay, well…I’ll just share anyhow!

My tip is…

{drumroll please!}

…to turn off the word verification!

Correct me if I’m wrong, but the only thing it helps is to minimize the spam comments.  However, I have had mine off for some time now and I get about 1 spam a day.  I delete it and move on. 

I know, you’re probably thinking that I’m not a “big blogger” since I only have 1 spam a day.  *sigh* 

Well, anyway…by taking off the word verification you get more comments across the board.  So it’s worth the spam to get more chatter from YOU! 

Some of you have your commenting set up where when you leave a comment and click on “post comment” it then reloads to show word verification.  This extra step is frustrating and it’s easy to click out of the blog before it’s reloaded so that the person thinks they have left a comment, but really they haven’t.

Whatever you decide to do, it may be worth the try to take off the word verification for a week or two and see what happens!  Let me know and I’ll come comment!

Three Cheers For My Cheerleaders!

Last year my Grandmother made the girls little cheerleading jumpers in our school color with the first letter of our school on the front.  So when there was a big basketball tournament at our school last weekend, the girls wanted to dig them out to wear in support of our home team.

But they got to do more than that…They got to cheer with the real cheerleaders for the girls basketball game!

Here is three cheers for my two adorable mini cheerleaders!

Hip, hip, hooray!
Hip, hip, hooray!
Hip, hip, hooray!

It was so sweet of the coach to allow them this special experience and treat.  As their proud mommy, I had a blast watching them try to mimic the older girls.

Hmmm…makes me think about the importance of living a life that is worth mimicking.

“Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good.  The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God.” – 3 John 1:1

Traveling with Kids: Harder Than It Looks! {Guest Post}

About 9 years ago, when my brother was 21 and my first son (my 3rd child) had recently been born, my brother came for a 10-day visit. He was single and naive (and I say that in the nicest way possible) and he was eager to spend some time with his nieces and nephew and tour the DC area.

As a brand new mother of 3, I was naive enough to think that touring DC with a preschooler, a toddler, and a newborn would be a cinch with my brother along.




Each day, we packed up the car. Strollers, baby carrier, diaper bag, changes of clothes, bottles, blankets, coats, umbrellas, bagged lunches and snacks. Am I forgetting anything?

Each day, we'd spend an hour getting the kids ready and the car packed, then another hour driving to downtown DC and finding a parking space. By the time we got to our destination for the day, we were already pooped, and all the kids wanted to do was eat.

We had a great time that week, but after a few days of our intense role as tourists, we were ready for a day close to home. We planned a picnic at a local park.

We spent well over an hour getting the kids ready, the lunches made, and the car packed. On the way to the park, we discussed the sad fact that no matter how far we were traveling or how complicated the outing, we still had to bring along the same amount of baby and kid gear. We arrived at the park exhausted. Again.

On the way home from the park, my brother said something in all seriousness and complete innocence that I have never forgotten. He said, "Before I came for this visit, I was thinking about settling down, getting married, and starting a family soon. But after spending a week with you guys, I've changed my mind. I think I'm going to wait for a while."

I recently wrote a post about tips for taking long car trips with kids. What are some of your secrets for taking day trips with children? How do you make it an enjoyable experience instead of an exhausting one?

* * * * *

As a side note, my brother is now happily married to an awesome girl, and they are proud parents of a darling baby boy. He's handling parenthood like a star. I have since had two more kids to add on to the 3 that I had in 2001, and I happily leave the kids home as often as possible with my teenaged daughter (the one in the maroon coat) so that I can get around town with a little (ok a lot) more ease. Now that 4 of my 5 kids are in school, I spend most of my free time blogging at Better in Bulk.

Make Them Part of the Adventure!

A few days ago I overheard an individual saying “I don’t want to have kids because I want to go where I want to go, when I want to go there.” I completely understand his point of view, however I think it is a bit skewed. Yes, traveling with little ones on board takes more planning, but it can be just as fulfilling if not more.

First of all, you need to figure out where you are going to go. I encourage you to think outside of the box. Yes, Disney World is probably one of the first places that pops into your mind to take your child, but in a survey done by National Geographic and Yahoo, Orlando didn’t even make the top ten while New Orleans was number one. (That one caught me off guard!)  One way to make your travel enjoyable is to set your destination as somewhere YOU as the parent want to go. If you think your destination is akin to walking on fiery coals then you won’t enjoy the process it takes to get there. If you are a history buff, take the kids to a historic battlefield like Gettysburg, PA or Yorktown, VA. You will better enjoy the journey if you know the destination will be a reward worth your while.

As Brandy said, “Don’t be in a hurry.” I know one family who plans their road trips to Indiana around a specific rest stop called the “Goasis,” which they know is a family friendly stop to make. I have traveled quite a bit since I have had my kids. When my son was eleven weeks old, we flew to Virginia, drove to South Carolina, and lastly drove home to New York. Scheduling times for nursing breaks, bathroom breaks, and just time for those unexpected blowouts outfit changes that will inevitably occur is incredibly helpful and stress relieving when planning a trip.

The last thing I want to encourage you to do is to be adventurous! Do something you never thought you would be able to do. When my daughter was nine months old some friends and I wanted to go hiking. I backpacked her three and a half miles to Johns Brook Lodge in the heart of the Adirondacks and left her there with my mother while the rest of us hiked Mount Marcy!

The person I quoted at the beginning of the post felt like children would hinder their adventures, but I say that your children can become PART of the adventure if you are willing to take the extra time to incorporate them. Together you can make amazing memories!

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This has been a guest post by Kristina of 3 Under 4.  Click on over to see her and read her great series on being a Mom.

Traveling Activity with Quirky Momma

I have three preschoolers and to say that it is a "struggle" to keep them entertained when traveling or at say a Dr. appointment is an understatement. I feel like we are finally getting to a place where keeping them engaged is easier. One of our favorite travel and diaperbag forms of entertainment/learning is our mini-whiteboards. They are super easy to make and can keep your kids entertained for 20-30 min at a time. I have even used them to write notes to myself when out and about or to keep track of a grocery list. This whiteboard is included in my post on 40 Tips to Travel with Preschoolers.

What you'll need:

• An empty CD case
• Scissors
• glue stick
• Dry Erase Markers
• Dried out diaper wipe (for cleaning - they last a long time and store inside the case)
• White paper - Cardstock is best, or patterned paper - we printed the print one of Charles Harper's animal works for the kids to play "I Spy" and circle animals they find.

How to Make it:

Take apart the CD case. We made our case white on one side and patterned on the other. Cut your paper to fit. Lightly edge your paper in clear glue to help it adhere to the case. The glue is not necessary, but it helps your mini-whiteboard live a little longer. If your kids are like mine, their favorite part of this activity will be wiping their writing, opening and closing the case between wipes. Reassemble the CD case and have fun writing! This is a great thing for every toddler diaper bag, great for entertaining and keeping kiddos quiet in a pinch. The Dry Erase markers will stain clothes, the carpet at the Dr. office, etc., so I like to take wipe-able crayons with me when we are out. Have fun playing "I Spy" and learning with your mini-whiteboard.

Activities You can do with your whiteboard:

• If you go with the Harper print, circle the animals in one color, plants in another... or circle a specific animal. He found the walrus!!!
• If you have patterned paper that is dot-to-dot have the kids follow the numbers to create the design.
• play guess that letter or guess that word. As you write the letter have the kids guess it before you are finished.
• Use it in Bible memory. Write your Bible verse and erase a word each time you say it until you are saying the entire verse with out seeing the words (this is a great way to work on site reading with your early reader).
• Color a picture - be creative!

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Rachel is mommy to three preschoolers and blogs about their learning activities and adventures at Quirky Momma. Her original mini-whiteboard post can be found on that site.

Brandie's Tips For Traveling With Children

Traveling with Children can be extremely painful fun.  We have learned over the years a few tips that help make a trip less painful a success.

1. Bring LOTS of activities and by activities I mean movies--we have a DVD player in our car and it was the best investment we have made.  My kids get car sick so by watching movies they get distracted.

2. Bring extra's of things that your kids normally need (for example binkies... Katie doesn't still have a binkie but when I took these pictures she did and I always traveled with four)  I also pack extra wipes, diapers and ziplock bags work great in an emergency. 

3. Don't be in a hurry.  This has been a mistake we have made often.  When traveling with children especially YOUNG children you will need to plan on extra stops for food, bathroom trips, and just getting the wiggles out. 

4. Bring snacks.  This will save time and money.  Back to my ziplock bags again I fill them individually for each child so that we avoid sharing spills and messes.  I recommend crackers, cold cereal, fruit, and other kid friendly food.
 

Can you imagine her fighting with her siblings... I didn't think so. And the last tip is...  

5. Travel at a time when your children are most likely to sleep be in a good mood. Happy Traveling! I was not compensated for this post I just like ziplock bags and that is the brand that I buy. 

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This was a guest post by Brandie from Rudy Family Rukus.  Brandie describes herself this way: "I am a mom of three who often travels all alone with my children because of the long hours my husband works.  These are some tips that have really  helped me to not loose my mind on road trips. I blog over at Rudy Family Rukus about how to contain a Rukus with a sense of humor."

Hello on Day One

Justin and I are out here in Indiana right now for a conference on Biblical Counseling.  The kids are back home and each staying with a different family, so this is my way to say hi “in person”.  You can join us, too, if you’d like!

Sunday Citar {1/7/10}

For example, all kinds of faulty reasons for the phenomenon of teenage rebellion are "swallowed hook, line, and sinker" by parents because they do not have a biblical picture of their teen's heart.  They believe that they are fighting just a hormonal battle or a natural struggle for independence from parental control.

While some of these diagnosis (e.g., hormones and peer pressure) can certainly influence a teen's thoughts and choices and will need to be addressed, not one of them strikes at the root of the problem - the teens heart itself.

-Changed Into His Image by Jim Berg

Join me and others for Sunday Citar.

Introducing Silly Sisters Saturday!

Ever since I began to blog, my children have enjoyed sitting on my lap and looking at other kids on other Mommy blogs.

Now that I have a laptop with a webcam they are getting into making their own videos.

So…

Silly Sisters Saturday is born! 

This is the day that kids get to blog and we get to sit back and watch them make friends with the children of our friends.

Want to join us?!

The rules are that the post has to be by the kid…either a video of them, a picture that they want to share, etc…you can actually “publish” it, but it needs to be your child’s idea.

And now for the first edition of Silly Sisters Saturday!

(Featuring Emmy & her very odd story…)

Now it’s your turn to link up with your kids!

Special Friends. *Sigh*

Tomorrow – Saturday – I will be on my way to a training conference about Biblical counseling.  It is my goal to be a NANC certified counselor in the next year.  Or two.

But while I’m on my way to this fantastic conference, I will be stopping in Cleveland, OH to say “hi” to a very special friend.

(do you recognize the younger me on the right?!)

This is Natalie and me back in 2005 right around the time they moved to Cleveland to become church planters.  Sorry the picture is so bad, I just took a picture of the picture sitting on my table in my study (it’s a tea set for 2 in front of it!)

Natalie is a woman who God used greatly to mentor me in the first 4 years of my marriage and who has become a dear friend.  The kind of friend you call every so often – or not so often! – and pick up right where you left off.

Do you have special friends like this?  If so, what do you enjoy the most?  If not, why not?  I’m anxious to hear your thoughts over in my community forum.

On a side note, here are some great books about friendships and relationships…check ‘em out!

I Have An Announcement To Make!

*Ahem!*

May I have your attention?

I have an announcement to make today.

*clears throat*

I am very excited to let you all know that….

(No!  I’m not pregnant!)

…I now have my own domain!

*very loud girly scream*

Over the next few days the transition will happen and you will be able to find me at www.fromthetrenchesofmotherhood.com.

I couldn’t have done this without the support of The BlogFrog and the kind mentoring of Barb.  So big bloggy hugs to them!

Okay, that’s all for now.  Just wanted to share my excitement with you!

Everything In 2010 – Week 6

Welcome to week 6!  Thanks for joining me today.  I have made today’s post another video post…and please be patient as I get used to talking to a webcam…I feel so silly!

On a side note…Micah gets a big kick out of hearing me say his name on the videos…so he had a ball watching this when I uploaded it.

Silly Shout Out For Brandie!

Pardon the eye roll, the momentary forgetfulness of Brandie’s Blog name, and all the other silliness!  We’re just trying to have some fun here….!

I baked some cookies this morning – well they are still baking – and Brandie thought they sounded yummy, so here’s a quick peek!

The recipe is here.  Yummy!

The Abolishment of Laundry Day

Image by Old Shoe Woman via Flickr

When I was first married I made Tuesdays my laundry day. 

I am not entirely sure why I did this, but I guess it was because it seemed like the thing to do.  You know…have a laundry day.

My little laundry day system worked well.  I felt like Ma on Little House On The Prairie doing my day’s work.  But then along came Abby and doing wash only one day a week just didn’t work anymore.

Too many blowouts that blew out on her clothes and burp clothes with burps and more on them.

So I began to wash as needed.  Here and there in between all the other things I was now doing as a new mother.

That system worked well until I needed something that hadn’t been washed.  Frustrating.  Especially when you’re dealing with your post pregnancy body and you have a limited amount of fitting clothes.

This is when I began my new system and it’s pretty much stuck ever since.  With the exceptions of a when I had Micah and when I broke my foot.

Now I do a load of laundry each day.  Minus Saturday and Sunday.  Some Mondays I do a few loads, but for the most part it’s one a day.  It’s kind of like a housekeeping vitamin.

This works well for me because I don’t feel overwhelmed by piles of towels and heaps of socks to be matched.  It’s in bite sized loads.  If I have a busy day I can still manage because it’s only one load.

I normally load the washer right before I go to bed and then run it after my devotions in the morning.  This way when breakfast is over I can throw it in the dryer and by mid morning, my chore is done.

This is my Works For Me Wednesday tip.  Free of charge, of course! ;-)

I would really enjoy hearing your laundry tips and why you do what you do with your laundry.  Please run over to my community forum and share your tips and thoughts with me.  See you there!

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A “Famous” Feature: Taking Heart

Early today I wrote a post on How To Become Famous and then asked people to share their thoughts over with me in my community forum.

Then just moments ago, I used Random.org to draw one comment to feature here tonight.

The lucky winner…

Taking Heart!

Here is what she had to share with me today:

I don't want to be famous. I am deathly shy... and I hate to see what sudden fame does to the average person (Kate & Jon Gosselin-ugh). What would be even worse... being born into fame... and their fame is simply for being famous! (Paris & Nikki Hilton-yuk) I admittedly do have an unhealthy obsession with reading about what the famous are up to.

That being said... I would love to be an author for a living. Not for fame, but because I love to write. And when you are a shy person like myself... writing is great for self expression. I also love to sing, but could never be a singer because people would have to look at me! (shy!)

I am inspired by some famous people... because of the way they handle themselves with grace... and that is inspiring. If I could trade places with anyone... it would be Allison Pittman (my favorite Christian fiction author) or the classic Sandi Patty (she tweeted me last week... star struck!) Susan Isaacs (actress/comedienne/author) would also be fun! The three of them are great examples of how fame can be used to reach the masses with GRACE!

Now it is time for you to jump on over to her blog and read what else she has to say!

How To Become Famous

  Just a few hours ago I got off the phone with someone who I consider to be famous around the blog world.  It was a really neat experience to finally talk live to someone who I have only known through blog posts and twittering.

I’ll be honest with you, I got off the phone and let out a loud whoop of a girly scream.  (And if that person is reading this post…please don’t laugh!  I’m really not a ditz!)  I was just so excited about the path my blog is taking me down.

After that I had to come down from my high and back into the world of my real life – fixing dinner, bathing kids, reading bedtime stories, and tucking them in to freshly made beds.  It was while I was doing the tucking-in that I thought about how no-matter how famous I may become in blog land – or how famous I don’t become! – I will never be as famous there as I have the opportunity to become in the “land of mothering”.

And let’s face it, it doesn’t matter if I become a household name or if I get to talk on the phone to Rustin, Angie, Holly, Lori, or MckMama.  What truly matters…what really makes me famous…is what my children think about me – their Mommy.

So how do I plan on becoming famous in bloggy land?

I don’t.

But I do plan to become famous here in the trenches!

From the trenches of motherhood…where I go by the title of “Mama”…

-Mandy the Trench Mommy

Simple Woman’s Day Book {2/1/10}

Outside my window...
bright blue skies with puffy white clouds floating by.

I am thinking...
about how hard it is to be a Pastor’s wife, but how wonderfully God gives me the strength I need for each moment of the day…and how excited I am to be going to this conference on Saturday to be spiritually fed!

I am thankful for...
the fruit of the Spirit in my life.

I am wearing...
a pair of my new jeans with a 3/4 sleeve camo shirt with a jeweled deer on it.

I am remembering...
the fun time I had on Thursday getting my eyebrows waxed for the first time!

I am going...
to be busy at home getting read for our 5 member family going to 4 different places for a whole week.

I am currently reading...
Spiritual Nutrition by Christine Prescott and many more titles! Last weeks title is up for grabs on my book review blog!

I am hoping...
get the house cleaned, my computer glitch fixed, and much more by Friday.

On my mind...
that I am a sinner saved only by grace.

Noticing that...
time flies faster each day.

Pondering these words...
“But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.” – Philippians 3:7

From the kitchen...
I don’t know yet!!!

Around the house...
packing & washing…repeat over and over!

One of my favorite things~ having my husband hold me when I have had a rough day or tough situation.

From my picture journal...
 

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