Kelli's Song

Lord, Your patience for me is astounding.

You have watched me attempt success,
You have watched me live through failure,
and patiently You waited.
You have watched me lie, and cheat, and steal;
You have heard me speak your name in vain,
and patiently You waited.
You have watched me stumble,
You have watched me fall,
and patiently You waited.
You have watched me cry out in agony,
You have watched me hide in shame,
and patiently You waited.

And when I chose to call out Your name, oh Lord,
You were already there.
When I lifted my voice in prayer, oh Lord,
You were already there.
When I asked for Your mercy, oh Lord,
It was already there.
When I opened my eyes I saw, oh Lord,
You were already there,
Waiting patiently for me to accept Your love.

We bleed...

...Green and Gold!!!

Comfortable?

Tech for Tots

My three years old Alyssa is interested in everything, this includes the computer, my cell phone and video games. I don't let hear use these things on a daily basis but when I do, I have come up with a few tricks to make things a little simpler for her.

When using the computer I enlarge the mouse, make it black and slow down the mouse speed for her. If you are using Windows Vista, right click on your desktop, select Personalize and then Mouse Pointer. Now, instead of sending the mouse pointer across the screen she has more control and select items to click on with greater ease. The websites I let her visit are noggin.com, nickjr.com and tv.disney.go.com/playhouse.

When we are driving in the car my daughter loves to talk on the phone and my mom (aka Grammie) loves to hear from Alyssa. So I've taught her how to call her Grammie. No, at 3 she hasn't memorized any phone numbers but she has learned how to use T-Mobile MyFavs. This cell plan isn't perfect (I have yet to find a plan that is), but Alyssa can scroll to Grammie's picture on my phone, press the circle button twice and talk to Grammie as long as she wants (without wasting my minutes). This keeps her occupied on my drives around town. Perfect!

Lastly, video games. Okay, like most moms, I am not a fan. However, last Christmas Alyssa received a V-Tech V-Smile from her grandparents. It came with a keyboard/mouse/pen/joystick combo thing and a game. It has tremendously helped her recognize letters and numbers. She has even recently started writing letters with the pen and pad.

Play Dough Recipe

1 cup salt
1 & 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp oil
a few drops of food coloring

Just mix it all together and there you have it - play dough. I store it in plastic sandwich bags and it last a few weeks. My daughter (3 yrs old) loves using an old rolling pin and cook cutters while playing with the dough. We tried setting one of her creations out to dry once, but after 5 days it was still tacky so we threw it out.

Water Every Child Containing Household Needs

Here is list of just a few things we couldn't live without:



Coffe Maker

Recycling bins (ok, so we don't have a set at the moment and our recycling system is quite chaotic)

Baby wipes

Electrical outlet covers

Moonsand (plus an old plastic table cloth to spread out on the floor and old dishpans to hold the stuff)

Play dough

Books, books, and more books (I recommend the Fancy Nancy series for little girls)

A broom (for me to use) and a swiffer (so my pre-schooler can help too!)

Magnets and old cookie sheets

Hardwood floors (easier to clean when your daughter decides to draw circles on the floor)

Tilex shower cleaner (because, seriously, who has time to scrub the tub)

Crayons, markers, finger paints, coloring books and construction paper

Gummy-Vites (mutltivitamins in the form of gummy bears)

For Women Only

This book was loaned to me by one of my friends and I’m glad she did. I’m getting married in a few weeks and this book was worth finding the time to read.

The book is authored by Shaunti Feldhahn, a Christian woman, who writes out of a genuine concern for the men our lives. If you are looking for a book advicing you on how to get what you want from your man, then this book is not for you. This book is about understanding what is going on inside his head and, most importantly, how to love, respect, and support him in a way that he will appreciate. Okay, okay… maybe this book sounds like it should be titled The Good Little Wife For Dummies, but really it’s not that type of book – just trust me. This book covers a lot different subject: work, family, sex, romance, your appearance (yeah, I had no idea men cared about this one), and more. The chapters on sex and appearance were a little difficult for me to take in – I simply didn’t like the reality of the information presented – but the chapters are important none the less.

So, if you’re a Christian, or maybe a non-Christian looking for a different perspective, I recommend this book.