MusiCollege Conference and what I learned!!

This last week I had the fortunate opportunity to attend the Majesty MusiCollege!  This is a great opportunity for EVERYONE!  They do training on church piano, vocal, conducting, how to sing congregational, choral, and WHY it is so important to have conservative music in churches!

I grew up with Patch the Pirate and Majesty Music, so for me it was a great experience learning from Ron and Shelly Hamilton and their staff!  When you spend 20 years listening and being encouraged from a family, it's great to finally be able to talk with them and get to know them a little bit.

Personally the piano courses (since I play piano a lot) for me were encouraging!  It can be hard to figure out a good balance and style for piano, and it's so easy to look at the great players and get discouraged.  This was a great way to bring things back into perspective!

At the end of the conference they did a LIVE performance of "Ocean Commotion" (a Patch adventure) and all the kids got to meet the REAL Patch the Pirate!  For the boys, this was their chance to meet a hero of theirs!  I am forever grateful that my parents raised me with good music and Godly character building of Patch the Pirate and I love that my children also get to grow up and be encouraged from it as well!.

They hold these conferences throughout the country every year, and I strongly encourage all to go!  You never know how one class or song or Patch Adventure may change the course of your family!

If you are ever looking for GOOD music for your children they will love check out :Majesty Music

Boys getting ready for the concert!

Mira meeting Princess Pirate!

Sam got to see Wise Guy and his parrot!

Patch the Pirate leading the singing

A chance to meet Sissy and Patch!



I am forever grateful to the Hamilton's and their ministry for providing Godly music and training for children and adults.   I am also so grateful for my parents for putting it into our home!  Now the next generation is able to grow up in it as well.

Thorns in the flesh

A little while ago, our Pastor preached about Paul (in the Bible) and his thorn in the flesh.

2 Corinthians 12:6-8King James Version (KJV)

6 For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me.

7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.

Now, this entire sermon all I could think about was "wow, Paul was super awesome" and I never truly think of him having a lot of problems.  Yes, he was in jail, shipwrecked, stoned, etc, but it never dawned on me just HOW much he went through and yet he continued to serve God and help minister to others!  He is known as one of the BEST missionaries of all time!!  Yet, he did not see himself as that, and he daily and constantly struggled.

I struggle a lot with health, and mental problems which for years I have been angry about.  It's frustrating when I physically cannot play piano the way my brain knows I should be able to, or when I mentally can't express what I'm thinking and feeling and I overwhelm others.  The problem with this thinking is it's always "I, I, I, or Me, me me."  My husband reminded me this week, that even with all the struggles I have, I still am able to do above and beyond and I am completely what my family needs from me.  I may get frustrated with my limitations, but I often think God must have put them there so I am able to stay humble and under my husband at times.  It keeps me gracious with my children because I understand struggles when they struggle.  It helps me from taking on too much outside of our family.  

These past few weeks I have been struggling physically and emotionally with a lot of things due to my health.  I get depressed and frustrated with it, but my husband reminds me frequently that if I were perfectly healthy, I could be unstoppable in any career or field I chose, BUT I would not be the mom and teacher and helper for my family that I am!  I am so grateful that I have limitations to keep me in the realm I need to be for my family!  

Our goal as parents is to raise our children for God!  No matter their career path, as long as they are following what God wants for them, we have succeeded as parents.  

I had (and still have) big dreams and goals for my life!  They have happened in ways I never would have thought, but I am grateful that God allows me to be home doing what he needs me to be for my family at this point in time.  In the future things may change, my health may change, but for now my husband and I are allowed the unique opportunity to both be home full time for our children.  The days that gets frustrating I just look back now at Paul.  He went through extreme daily trials, but God was able to use him for great things!!  I pray that some day when I look back I can say that through the daily trials and hurt, that God was able to use our family for what he needed.

When I feel good I go 110%, which means that my family will not get the mommy and wife that they may need.  The days I hurt and am frustrated I can't go out and do more I pray and remember that God has added some limitations to me to keep me where he needs me!  He needs me home for now to care for my husband and children with their health.  He needs me plugged into ministry without taking over everything.  He needs me gracious and toned back!

This song is a blessing for me.  It's a great reminder to Stay the Course and follow Christ, even when everything else is hard!

This verse is my motto I am striving through God's grace to do daily!  In my "me" state, it's so easy to know everything and do too much.  This is a great reminder for me on how we should be:

Colossians 4:6King James Version (KJV)

6 Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

Easter tradition

Easter has always been a toned down holiday when I grew up. We didn't do big meals, but we did have chocolate, egg hunts, and often times new clothes.  We would wake up early, hunt eggs around our house (that we had spent the weekend dying), and then go to church in our new clothes and have a good family day!

Every year I get all the boys matching suits and shirts and we dress up fancy for Easter.  This year, however, I was excited to add the fun if matching me and my daughter for her first Easter and coordinating the boys!  We didn't go as formal as the past with the boys, but with the help of my mother in-law, we found great family outfits!

We also got to enjoy traditional dying if eggs with my mother and have a candy hunt at church!

The boys also like that after church we always watch the Resurrection movie (from Nest entertainment for children) and it helps them hear that story of Christ in a way they fully understand.


We are So thankful for a good church that preaches the Gospel, has good fun for the children, and encourages our family so much!  It brings even more special-ness to these holidays when you have church family to spend it with.

As the boys get older it's fun to see how we have created our own traditions and fun for them to remember and experience every year!

After the Easter, we had our random fun adventure by going to the zoo for bat day (so if course super hero costumes happened) and we even saw some Easter eggs in their aquarium!

The days happen fast, but the memories last forever.  It doesn't have to be expensive or over the top, but find something memorable to experience or plan with your family and make each holiday special.

Rainy Day Adventures!!

Point of the day: Remember to take a step back from the busy-ness of life!

Yes, I really like to do "adventures" every day!  Yesterday was filled with play-dough, museums, outside fort building and so much fun!!  All that epic fun from yesterday gave us the perfect plan for today: Pajamas and Movies! (with a strong possibility of board games later)

I rarely do Pajama Days or Movie days!  When I don't get up, dressed, chores done, school done, etc, then I feel depressed and unmotivated.  This becomes so much worse during the rainy days.  This week I looked ahead at the weather, so yesterday we went out had a ton of fun, so that today was a planned "Pajama and Movie day."

What I love about these rare but relaxing days is that it becomes special.  The kids were excited to watch a movie this morning, have a late breakfast, and just spend a dreary day snuggled up and having fun.  We worked hard yesterday cleaning and planning, so today is just a fun family day.

These days make for fun memories, special times, and good quality family time!  I am all about being productive and feeling good, but I also want to slow down when we can and enjoy those "nothing" days.

Also doing these days gives us a quiet home, happy memories, and I got the chance to clean up as I need to without being a whirlwind!

So to all my friends and family I saw enjoy the rain, snuggle up when you can, and embrace these small happy moments with your family!  Slow down, enjoy the moment, and don't let the rain get you down and dreary!!

Our Getaway and our Takeaway!

Every year our church host a Marriage Retreat!  The last three years we have lived here we have gone, and it has done wonders for us as a couple.  The first year our marriage (and our personal lives) desperately needed the preaching.  The second year, it was very reaffirming for us to look and see how far we had come that year.  This year was our third year and it was once again, wonderful!

Now, for some the retreat may be about sight seeing, amazing dinners, good fellowship, and yes, those are all valid reasons for needing a getaway; but, for us, it is a way for us to get time "unplugged' from our normal life to reevaluate and see what we need to work on as a couple.  This year, due to health needs, we almost did not attend, but I am so thankful that we were able to come and came out refreshed.

These are the main reasons we do and love the marriage retreats every year!

1) ALONE time unplugged from normal life.

With four small children, it can be so easy to get wrapped up in the every day worries and issues of life.  We talk more about what we did with the children that day than we do about what we do as a couple.  Our focus at home, more often than not, is things we want and plan for our family and children.  Although that is not a bad thing, every couple needs time to focus on them.

This year we were able to spend our afternoons alone learning and discussing and catching up on OUR relationship and what WE needed and like and improved in our marriage.

2) Reevaluate goals and life.

Our first marriage retreat, we felt our marriage was falling apart and major life stress.  By the second retreat, we looked back on the previous year on what had changed, how we improved, and what we wanted to continue.

This was our third retreat.  This year we had big discussions on our new phase of child rearing (those "school age" years, versus the "toddler" years) and what we wanted to implement as parents.  It also gave us a good check point on what were we slacking on, and what areas we wanted to improve in our relationship!

3) Getaway!

This part is fun for me because I love to see new places, and try new restaurants, and visit new things!  Even though the preaching and learning is amazing, and the sitting back and resting is great, we also love that we get a chance to sight see!

Last year we spent a fun weekend in San Antonio and saw so much as a couple with amazing memories.  This year we have good memories of watching sun set over the lake, good food on the river, and the scenery of hills, tress, and a quieter place in Texas.  We also now have good plans to come back as a family another time.

4) Takeaway!

Now, you don't ever "know it all" so there is always a take away from each retreat.  First year it was SO much concerning how we treated and expected things from each other.  Last year we felt finances were a struggle, and we worked hard on it.  This year we got a lot out of the child classes for starters.  As a parent of young children your days can get caught up in the "am I really doing this right?" "am I messing up these kids for the future?"  It was good for us to talk and listen to older couples who have already been through this and reassure us (and give us good pointers) that we are doing well and how we can improve.

BE EXCEPTIONAL!!  I cannot stress this enough!!  It is not "hard" to be married when you are a good Christian.  When we have an exceptional relationship with Christ, it makes our relationship with our spouse Exceptional too!!  When we have an exceptional relationship with our spouses, it makes our relationship with our children EXCEPTIONAL!  We only have ONE chance at being married to our spouse.  We only have ONE chance to raise our children right.  We only have ONE life to live for God!!  Focus on how to improve spiritually, emotionally, and physically, and you will end up with an exceptional life!

When I focused hard on what God wanted, and how much God loved me, it was so much easier to believe and accept that same love from my husband.  When I felt secure with my marriage, it made me feel more confident as a mother.  When I felt confident as a mother, it made me open up more and be happier with my friends.  Every relationship rolls into the next.  Start at the top with God, and focus on them as they roll down to spouse, children, friends, etc.

Definitely and strongly recommend always going to these retreats.  Even when we "know everything" who doesn't love a quiet and relaxing weekend to just unplug, rest, and recharge!

How I get my mornings on track!

As someone with chronic health issues, and often sleep issues, getting up and going in the morning is a struggle.  I can do it for some days, but consistently getting up and being productive is hard!!  The days I'm able to get up and moving and everything done always starts off our days on a good, productive note.  Over the last few months, I've had a few things I do every morning to "kick off" our mornings the right way. Some days I struggle, but overall doing these steps has boosted my morning routine!

Most days, I can get this list done by 9 A.M., and then the rest of my day feels like it's on a good start!  Other days, this list takes me until lunch, but it gives a set organization to our day.  I am also not a mom that does well before 7 A.M., so this is my "between 7 and 9" get done list :)  Every family works differently, and every person works differently, so this is how we get things done!

1) Get in the Bible.

Some days I do this around breakfast, but often times I get the kids fed so I can do my five minutes of Bible journaling in the morning.  I save my intense devotions for nap times or evenings, where my focus is ideal.  At least getting my five minutes in every morning gets a big boost to my mornings!

2) Zeal up!

For me I do not focus well without a health boost.  Zeal gives me focus and energy.  My body does not handle coffee well, so instead I found a good healthy "energy" boost that works for me!  It helps my eyes quit burning on those sleep deprived nights, and it lets me get a good healthy boost when my stomach doesn't handle food first thing.

3) Do one load of dishes.  

Oftentimes, just emptying and rerunning my dishwasher makes the entire kitchen feel better.  Just 10 minutes cleaning the kitchen gets most of the declutter and mess gone so I can focus.

4) Spend 30 minutes cleaning.

The children have their chores, while I work on mine.  This keeps us working as a family to get something cleaned up and worked on before we start our school, shopping, or whatever else we have that day.

5) Make a Daily Goal!

The days I wake up going "we have nothing to do today" inevitably end up with us watching T.V., feeling bored, and ends up very angtsy and grumpy.

Most days my list may be as easy as: Clean kitchen, do three loads of laundry, play at the park.
Other days, my list may be more detailed like: Finish lesson 86 of homeschooling, do the Dr appt, do our monthly grocery run, reorganize the cupboards in the bathroom, etc.

Even on our "do nothing" days, I try to make a list!  Even if my list is just do the dishes, and play a board game, making a list adds focus and goals to our day so as a family we know what we need to accomplish.  Does everything get done every day??  Nope.  Do plans change??  Absolutely!!  The point of this is that we don't spend half the day bored and lazy!  The days I need a lazy day we add it to our list :)  Yes, we have had days of: Watch a movie, stay in PJ's, and make homemade cookies!

6) Know your meals!

I usually add this to our Daily Goal list, but it has been a life saver!  I truly hate meal planning, but sitting down every two weeks and having my lunch meals planned takes the stress of "oh no, it's lunch what do we do now??"  And doing my freezer meals keeps dinners more streamlined!

However it works for your family, at least have a plan of what is going on with your meals.  This keeps the stress down, and the days runs smoother with a good meal plan!

7) Get showered and dressed!

Okay, I know this may seem obvious to some of you, BUT if you have a home with four small children, and babies, and pets... some days this is a challenge!!  We have our pajama days on occasion, but we all operate better when the kids are all up and dressed, and mommy has had a shower and I'm ready to take on the day!

There are days I get this done right at 7 am, but between the baby, the kids, and the morning, this sometimes is getting done right at 9 am.  It sounds weird to some, I know, but getting this done first thing definitely helps!!  Also giving the kids a task (so I don't worry they are destroying my house while I shower) makes a big difference too.

Balance.

Overall my mornings go best when I have taken care of myself spiritually, emotionally, and physically!  This list helps keep the main things the main things.

We still have our bad days, our sick days, and our "why did we get nothing done days??", but overall those days are far less and our home is much happier when we get at least these 7 things done in the morning.

How are some ways that YOU get everything done in your home??  What helps make your mornings become more streamlined? 

Embracing the Simplicity of Life

Our homeschooling adventures are always just that.. big, grand adventures!  I do enjoy spending time with friends, and friends, and doing big things.  Doing this, however, long term, is very draining.  There is a need for a balance.

This past few weeks we started a pretty big "simplify" life mode.  The things I've learned through this are to enjoy the small moments.  We can get caught up in the BIG things we do for our children, and get caught up in the negative of bad days, but when we focus on the little good things, and embrace those "everyday" things, it makes a big difference.

Our children are not going to remember every big thing we do for them, but they WILL remember the little things.  The building of tree forts, the tent city you created, the lego tower they spent an hour on, that bedtime story you let them stay up extra for.  These are all the precious little moments that you can't get back.

As a busy mom, it's easy to lose sight of these precious small moments because we are so caught up in "doing" everything.


A few things we did that made a big difference in the simple things:

1) Evaluate what is draining you.
Is it friendships, activities, not getting a "family" day?  Whatever it is in your life, find the big draining part and take a step back from it!

2) Disconnect every day for an hour.
  Although I am "always" on social media, I've learned to take an hour every day to just set aside for ME to either do something extra (without my phone on me) or just read a book, or clean the house... whatever it is I need for me that day.  Kids need time with mommy too without worrying her phone is gonna go off.  Turning off notification settings on my phone helps too.  Don't feel the pressure to always be "there" the second you get a message.  Spend a few moments disconnecting.

3) Focus on one area of the home every day. Set a tangible goal.

There were days I would get so caught up in the "doing" of everything that it was overwhelming, and making me frustrated all day.  Feeling this way can make you lose a lot of the daily joy of your home.  For me it's been "go go go" all week and then overwhelmed with the house.  I have tried every form of zone cleaning, lists, schedules, etc... but it never works for us.  What DID work, however was every morning finding ONE specific area I wanted to get done in my home, and knock that out first.  Whether it be doing two loads of laundry, mopping my kitchen, cleaning the pet cage, vacuuming my car, cleaning the cupboard....just ONE thing that is important that day, and get it done.

When I feel accomplished in my one thing, it boosts up my motivation to get more done.  And some days, I get only that one things done, and that's okay.  The point is to set a tangible goal for your day and get it done!

4) Enjoy the "little" moments.
This last few weeks I have been noticing a lot more "moments" that I was previously missing by feeling too busy or overwhelmed.  Now I enjoy that my two year old held my dustpan to help me clean.  I enjoyed the fact they all were helping each other at the park.  I love that my 6 month old just wanted to make silly faces and soak up the sun.  I enjoyed that my 4 year old just wanted to read an extra book at story time.

When I feel overwhelmed with something, I just put it on hold and take a step back.  Don't push through it if it's not critical.  My question for me is "tomorrow, will it have made a drastic difference?"  If it's not critical to get done, step back and breathe!

Take the time to enjoy your family.  It only happens once, and we don't want to be so busy in the "doing" of things that we forget to take a step back and enjoy the now of what we have.

5) Learn to say NO.
I love doing everything, and being part of every social activity!  Some days, it's still fun to do that, but it's also okay to say "no" and just spend time doing what YOU need to do.  It's not being mean, or anti-social when you take time for you and your family.  It's a balance of being involved and not being overwhelmed.  Moms, take the time to say "no" when you need to and focus on the blessings of your day.