I love this store. I could go every day and still find something to buy. My kids love it too... and the dollar spot has become my lifesaver many times. The girls ALWAYS want me to buy them everything they see and I don't ever feel bad about telling them they can pick something out at the dollar spot. So nice, everyone wins! They get a little something, I pay only a little bit! Today, I decided to spend a lot more than I usually would on a normal trip to Target. I decided to stock up on just about everything. You name it, I bought it. Shampoo and all those other toiletries, tp, paper towels, tissue, cough and cold medicine, cough drops, light bulbs, batteries........ toothpaste...... laundry baskets...... and even though these items seem boring to the average person, this mom who hardly goes and buys anything but groceries, loves to buy these kinds of things. It also brings me some kind of joy to know that my shelves and closets are stocked, and we are set for at least a few months! Joel was shocked at how much I actually spent.... but will be oh so happy to know he has everything he needs to smell fresh and clean in the days to come!

We should be more concerned in making His name GREAT, instead of making our own family name great.

Fools only look toward the weekend, the wise look on toward five and six generations to come.

Here I am, sipping on my coffee, listening to a podcast, watching Nevaeh play on the computer and Jesslyn learn her letters. Lots on my mind today. I have too many people around me dealing with things that are unimaginable. The world around us seems so scary right now. There is no good news out there. I have a verse that keeps running through my mind.... Psalm 16:2....... I say to the Lord, "You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you." I love love love this verse. It is so true, yet hard to remember. There are so many things in our lives that can be good. Family, kids, spouses, jobs, etc..... but without God, none of those things are good. None.

New Bible

I have been wanting a new Bible for a long time. I did a lot of research and decided to get the English Standard Version Study Bible and I love it. There is so much commentary to go along with practically each verse. I am looking forward to marking it all up.

Back from Longview

Here I am, surrounded by laundry, open suitcases, tired children, and am feeling very tired myself. My trip was amazing..... and now I am back to reality. I missed Joel terribly, and I am glad to be back home with him. We first headed to Bend, Oregon and stayed there in SunRiver for a week. Riding bikes, swimming, eating, and family. It was awesome. I love my family and am so thankful we all get along and are living good lives. We then headed back to Longview, and the very next day went out on my dad's boat. It was awesome. The weather was hot, the cousins had fun playing "lifeguard" and the water was refreshing. I then spent the rest of my time seeing family. I am now home and I always feel many emotions when I get back here. I am happy where we are, but miss family and having their support around me. I am so blessed to have the parents I have..... they are the best!

2009

This year is more than halfway over now. What a year it has been. In some ways, it seems like the worst year ever, in other ways, it is maybe the best one yet. I feel like I am being stretched minute by minute. I am discovering things that are blowing my mind. I am being challenged and hopefully will take those challenges to be better. I feel so unworthy. I am unworthy. I am nothing. I have no good thing apart from God. It has to be completely about Him and for Him. Not about me, or what I can do. I can do nothing. I want to compare myself to Him and not others. I want to not care what others think, but what He thinks. If He is pleased, does it really matter what others think? I want His word to be on my heart, deep in my heart. I will not settle for buying in to earthly ways or earthly things. I need to be renewed in my mind... daily... minute by minute. Even if all is crumbling around me, I will stand firm as long as He is my rock and foundation.