Today I'm thankful for.......

5. Sister-in-laws

I married into a family with eight sons and one daughter, so right off the bat I gained one sweet little sister-in-law, Susanna. I was the first one to marry into this fabulous family and for four years I waited for more sisters to join the ranks! I love my brothers dearly and couldn't wait for them to find the love of their lives.

In His perfect timing, the Lord brought Laura into Jonathans' life.

I was amazed at how instantly Laura really became my "sister". She has been such an incredible blessing to me. She is one of the sweetest, most beautiful people I know and is so perfectly created to be Jonathan's wife. As I've mentioned in previous posts, they just had their first little girl two months before Ella was born. It was so special to go through that pregnancy with her!


In the last month God has introduced the next future sister-in-law to us. Benjamin's many fervent prayers were answered and dear Melissa is now getting ready to enter the King family! Their story is amazing! If you know them, make sure they tell you all about it! It has been so wonderful getting to know her. She is one of the sweetest, most beautiful people I've ever met. ( It's true! Just because I say it twice doesn't mean it's not true!!!). Again, she is a perfect fit. We're all crazy about her ( although I think Benjamin is maybe more so) and can't wait to see all that the Lord has in store for them.



I really didn't know what it would be like as sister-in-laws joined the family, but so far it is an overwhelming joy. I know that I have two of the most amazing sisters in the world and I have complete confidence that God will continue to bless my other brothers as they continue to seek Him. I'm so thankful!!!

Today I'm thankful for.....

4. My yummy and (mostly) nutritious breakfast!

This morning I felt like making something that would actually leave me feeling satisfied and ready to attack the day. I decided to be "brave" and try something new.

I had some Quinoa on hand thanks to Alysun's yummy "Quinoa Bread" recipe that I love. I've used it in the bread and occasionally in soup, but have never ventured to try it on it's own!

For those of you like I was a couple of months ago, I'll give you a very brief description of quinoa. Quinoa is pronounced (according to dictionary.com) Keen-wah or Kee-noh-uh. In the states I've only ever heard it called "Keen-wah", but on Australian's Biggest Loser (one of my guilty pleasures!) they pronounced it "Kee-noh-uh". Most likely no one will know what you are talking about either way so just say it with confidence!

According to "Vegetarians in Paradise" ( believe me, not something I had ever heard of before. It simple showed up in a search!) quinoa is "highly nutritious and can supply us with all of the body's requirements: carbohydrates, fats, protein, vitamins, minerals, and fiber".

It cooks just like rice. Two parts water to one part quinoa. Simmer for about ten minutes then fluff. Very simple!

I topped mine with frozen blueberries and raspberries, a dash of cinnamon, a splash of milk and a sprinkle of brown sugar. It was delicious!!! And super simple! Plus I was FULL until lunch even after doing the Shred.

I must add how extremely thankful I am for Earl Grey tea. I love many, many teas, but Earl Grey always comes out on top.

A little milk, a little sugar. Ahhhh, perfection! Today I'm very thankful for the simple pleasures!!

Today I'm thankful for........

3. Snuggles!!!

Fact about me: I love snuggles and cuddles! Up until this year though, I have lived in a house with four "non-snugglers". Not that they have some moral objection to it, they are simply much more interested in running around, jumping off things, or rolling around somewhere. I'm the kind of mom who secretly enjoys it when her kids are sick because for once they enjoy just sitting close with me.

Then came Ella. One other thing I love about this amazingly unbelievable child is, she loves to snuggle!!! I still can't believe it! Don't get me wrong, I absolutely adore my girls who would rather be bouncing, swinging or flying ( Oh and the hubby too!), I'm just so thankful for my sweet little baby who loves to cuddle and snuggle just as much as I do!

Today I'm thankful for......

2. My First Born

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Lately I've just been reminded again how thankful I am that God truly does "know best" all of the time. When Lydia was born, it was the greatest shock of my life. I was POSITIVE I was having a boy!!! I thought that I wanted a boy. It took me all of .0009 seconds to fall desperately in love with this beautiful little girl though.

Over and over I ask Lydia, " What would I do without you?". And I mean it! She is an amazing help and encouragement to me. Not only does she delight in taking care of her younger sisters and helping me do household chores, she also verbally encourages me so faithfully. Not a day goes by that I don't receive some precious gift, whether it's a lovingly made card or a bouquet of weeds.

Praise the Lord that He gave me this precious young lady. I'm so thankful for her and can't wait to see the amazing plans in store for her!

Don't Be Deceived!!!

James 1 :16-17~ Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.


I LOVE the second part of this verse. I think about it all the time. It helps keep me focused on praising the Lord for all that He has done. But I think the first portion is so crucial! "Don't be deceived!". James knew how easy it is for us to get distracted with life and to not realize or think about our "good and perfect gifts". Or even worse, we in our pride somehow believe that we have achieved or somehow deserve these blessings in our lives.

I know that I fall into the trap of being deceived very often. In an attempt to focus my thoughts on praising my Father of the heavenly lights for the good gifts that come from HIM, I'm going to begin a week of thankfulness, spending some time thinking about some specific things I am truly grateful for. This will by no means be an exhaustive list, or listed from greatest to least. Just a small smattering.

And when I say I'm thankful, know that it is not just a general feeling. It is an act of worshipping my gracious Father and truly saying "thank you" to Him!

1. My husband

I just have to start here. I was thinking about this all night last night as I couldn't sleep very well. I know that I talk about him all of the time. I'm sure that you've all heard our story (if not just wait until June!). We met when I was three years old. I was madly in love with him when I was thirteen. We finally married soon after I turned eighteen. Looking back, I don't even know why I was "so sure" that he was the man for me. But I am 100% convinced that he is.

My husband is an amazing man. I could write more than you'd ever care to read so right now I will share my favorite thing about him. He is a man who not only loves the Lord with His all of his heart, but also wholeheartedly takes God at His word. The Word of God is what he guides his life by, and because of that I can trust him and give him my complete respect. You single ladies who may be reading this, hold out for this kind of man. What more can you ask for, than someone who desires to conform to the Lord's will. Everything else you could want falls under that heading. Honesty, gentleness, hard-working, joy, humility, patience, amazing love all come with a heart to please the Lord.

I am very thankful for my husband!

Another Random Blessing!

I remembered today that I had failed to show off my very favorite baby gift for Ella. Soon after she was born, my blogging buddy turned real life friend and fabulous photographer, Alysun, offered to take some newborn pictures of Ella. Not only that, she came all the way out to our house to take them! I was completely thrilled!

If you are local and in need of a photographer, I whole-heartedly recommend Alysun. Not only are her prices fabulous and her photos gorgeous, she is amazing at working with kids (a mom of three herself!) and has managed to get good pictures of all of my silly girls every time she photographed us. Check out her blog at alysunpetersphotography.blogspot.com .

Thanks again Alysun for your amazing gift!!!

Coming up in March....

I can't believe it's March already!!! With the baby and the wedding, it feels like these first two months of 2010 have absolutely flown by!

March always feels extra long to me. It's not quite spring. You can't quite plant a garden or all the flowers I've dreamt of all winter long. We're all itching for a change and yet patience is required for at least another month.

I thought I would just take a minute to think of some of the things I'm looking forward to in March.

A very special meeting~ This week my brother-in-law is bringing home my future sister-in-law for us to meet!!! I'm so excited!!!! (More details to follow!)

Walking,walking,walking~ I'm participating in a "500 miles in 2010" walking challenge with my MOMYS friends. I love it! Lest you have grand thoughts of me treading gallantly out in the wind and rain, let me set you straight. I walk in my living room. I have a "Walk Away the Pounds" video that I actually enjoy. Feel free to laugh and poke fun, but hey! I've walked 103 miles so far this year! That feels pretty good!

Pain~ While walking has felt really good and has provided me with great energy and endurance, I've been chomping at the bit to get started on something that will more aggressively attack my left over baby fluff. Now that I'm at the 6 week mark, I'm starting on the "30 Day Shred". (Note~ attire and language is not very family friendly!) I just started it today and believe me, there will be much pain this month!

Great joy~ Everyday is such a blessing. My girls are growing up faster than I can believe, and every day molds them with more joy, grace and beauty than the day before. My husband is as always, the man of my dreams. God seems to have gifted him with the amazing ability of learning how to love his crazy wife better each day! God is so faithfully providing and caring for us, revealing Himself to us and drawing us closer to each other. Yes, whatever March brings, I know it will bring great joy!

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.