2010 January — We are THAT Family

12:01 am Bykristen

How to Handle Little People: A Non Tutorial (This is me and maybe, that’s why I cried when I read it)

The Unofficial Events at Blissdom (are you going? let me know in the comments!)

Free Rice-a fun trivia game-every answer you get right, puts free rice in a bowl for Haitians (this is free and fun!)

It was Like Coming Home- a brilliant (and hilarious) hair care post by the one and only, BooMama.

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And Now, I’d Like You to Meet: My New Home Office

8:20 pm Bykristen

Our house is definitely not big, but it’s right for us. We use every spare inch of it, except for one room: our formal dining room. We just aren’t formal kind of people, but even rarely used, it holds an old table and thrift store chairs. And dust.

I’ve been itching for a home office for months. We can’t justify moving and I simply don’t want the expense or headache of one.

[I couldn't find a lot of inspiration for such a transformation. I googled and asked friend's opinions, I made my hubby move furniture in and out and was actually unsure of this idea.]

But I finally got up the courage! So. I talked my hubby into letting me change our formal dining room into a home office. (He was very agreeable, he just didn’t think it would look that great).

Before:

(Yes, that’s the table that got hung in the doorway at midnight. It was hilarious, but only to me. My hubby did not laugh one bit).

After:

This is now the busiest room in the house! My hubby included (yes, he loves it!)

What I did:

I kept the paint, curtains, rug the same and two of my dining room chairs. I just didn’t want to spend more money than needed. I also kept my dining room hutch.

Nearly everything else came from Ikea! You can really stretch a dollar in that store. We bought the gorgeous chair, shelves, desk (which is really a $69 dining room table!), and storage boxes. I got the desk lamp and skirt around the desk (which is actually one curtain panel I cut and velcro’d) at Target.

This room inspires me.

Who knows, I might even write a book in it!

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He Said/She Said (3): Confessions

7:00 am Bykristen

Thank you so much for the love and support you offered on last week’s post to my husband and I. Your reception of our hard-to-tell-story was beautiful. Sometimes doing the right thing is hard, but you helped us handle it with grace.

Please understand, this is our story and we aren’t making assumptions about your marriage or your spouse or proclaiming that every marriage has or will face something like this. We are simply telling it to help others. Maybe even you.

She Said:

I will never forget the night my husband confessed his sin to me. We were on our way home from Disney World of all places. We had just spent a magical week on our first real vacation after nearly 11 years of marriage. I was still on a Disney high as we drove our van deep into the night, our two children asleep in the back.

Up until this point in our lives, we’d had a really great marriage. We’d been out of full time ministry for two years and were finally getting back on our feet. For the first time, we had a 401k, we owned a nice home (the one we still live in) and my husband had a promising new sales career. Everything seemed perfect.

So, in the dark, as my hubby and I talked, our conversation began to take an uncomfortable turn. And then he just said it: “I have a sin problem. I’m addicted to lust and pornography.”

My world stopped. I knew from that moment, I would never be the same again.

I’m not going to candy-coat this: I freaked out.

I was so disturbed and disgusted that while we sped down the freeway, I climbed into the backseat to separate myself from him for awhile. I wept, held onto my babies and wondered if this is what if felt like for your marriage to breakup.

I asked a lot of questions. I hated all the answers. I couldn’t understand, couldn’t wrap my head around this different person, my mind screamed. “Who are you?” This was before counseling, before I gobbled up every book I could find on the subject. This is the night I lost some of my innocence.

But even on this first night, as I cried bitter tears, I couldn’t stop loving this broken man. My broken, hurting man. I didn’t understand this new ugly place. I didn’t know how we were going to make it, but I knew that I wanted to help him find freedom.

(And he found freedom like he’s never tasted, and we both found intimacy on a level we didn’t know existed….)

Next week, we will talk about some warning signs and then practical tools that would help fight this battle.

But before that, I just wanted to share some reassurances that helped me during this time (from For Women Only by Shaunti Feldhahn)

Reassurance #1: His temptation is often not primarily sexual (physical, yes, but not always sexual).

Reassurance #2: Every man is different (some can experience an involuntary sexual image and dismiss it without being tempted, while another can see the same image and struggle deeply).

Reassurance #3: It’s not because of you (this was the main point hammered over and over to me by the counselor…”your hubby had this problem before he even met you.”

Reassurance #4: This doesn’t mean he doesn’t love you (it was hard for me to understand how he could love me and still struggle with lusting after others…but this was a struggle with sin and even though it affected our relationship, these were separate in his heart).

Next week, I’ll share how you can help your hubby….

Before you watch my hubby’s testimony, please know that it is long (14 min), but very powerful. If you know or think your husband struggles in this area, I think it would be excellent for him to watch.

He Said:

Click here to watch.

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WFMW: My Only Beauty Tip

7:00 am Bykristen

Please mark your calendars for the March 3 & 10 temporary move of WFMW. While I’m in Kenya with the Compassion Bloggers, Shannon of Rocks in My Dryer will be welcoming you all back to her place as she hosts WFMW for two weeks! There will NOT be a special theme for March 3, link any tip you’d like!

I’m not an authority on beauty or fashion. I shop at Target for both.

(I still use Covergirl makeup and Seabreeze cleanser) See? I told you.

But I did recently discover something that has taken my 25 minute morning routine down to 19 1/2 minutes.

I used to blow dry my naturally wavy hair dry and then hot iron the soup out of it. I knew all that heat wasn’t great for my hair, but I was trying to achieve a certain look.

The gal who cuts my hair, styled it the other day and didn’t use the hot iron. Instead, she used one of these:

It probably has a name, but I like to call it THE FATTEST, ROUNDEST HAIR BRUSH KNOWN TO MANKIND.

Now, I blow dry with this big daddy (use brush to roll hair out straight while drying) and skip the hot iron step entirely!

My hair is a bit puffier than it used to be. But y’all: I’m saving 6 minutes and my hair follicles!

Don’t forget, the THEMED Works for Me Wednesday planned for next week, Feb. 3: share a blogging tip! (this is a suggestion, you’re always free to link up any tips)

Thank you for joining me for WFMW! {You can read the guidelines here.}

Have a Works-For-Me Wednesday tip you’d like to share? I’d love for you to join us! Please note that the links will close on Thursday, in order to keep away the spammers!

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{Madison Rose Vintage} Giveaway

7:00 am Bykristen

*Updated with Winner* Congrats to Nesting in Pleasant View!

I love vintage things! If the paint is peeling or it has a musty smell, it appeals to me. Once my Mom said, “When y’all have a bit more money, do you think you’ll buy new stuff?”

Nope.

I’m so happy to introduce y’all to a great Etsy store: Madison Rose Vintage!

This store is right up my vintage alley. Here are some of my favorite pieces:

The sweet owner and one of my readers, is offering a $50 gift certificate to a lucky reader today! Please leave a comment with one of your favorites from her store.

She is also offering a 20% discount! Just add the code WEARETHATFAMILY in the Etsy convo box.

This giveaway ends on Thursday.

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Print This When Cabin Fever Hits

6:59 am Bykristen

Winner of last week’s $50 Visa card: Renee Holley (reader, no blog); Please email me to claim.

I loved your winter weather ideas last week! Thanks so much for all the fantastic comments with ideas!

I thought it would be helpful to compile them in one place, you know, so you can print them out and WALL PAPER YOUR CABIN FEVER WALLS with them. Because THAT would certainly pass some time.

Indoor Ideas:

Make a “ball pit” with blown up balloons
Set up a pop-up tent
Make playdough
Have a picnic in the living room
Make a Banana Boat
Play “mailbox” write/deliver letters to each other
Make paper snowflakes (out of large coffee filters)
Movies/popcorn
Dress up in costumes for a “concert”
Games like Monopoly
Large puzzles
Giant cardboard boxes for imaginative play
Tea party
Read silently or out loud
Crochet (or learn to)
Play “school” with a chalkboard
Have Nerf war
Use all the Legos to build a city
Make Colored Squares (out of food-colored icing/graham crackers). Play food dominoes.
Roast marshmallows over the fireplace of kitchen stove
Have a “summer day!” Turn up the heat, wear shorts, flip flops and pretend it’s not cold outside!
Bring snow inside in large container for little hands to play with in the bathtub.
Crafts-from recycled projects like egg cartons, lids, tubes, etc
Make card houses from decks of playing cards or Book houses from assorted books
Make cut-out sugar cookies
Create an indoor obstacle course (jump from cushion to cushion, crab walk down hallways)
Shaving cream painting in the bathtub (paint the sides of the tub)
Make terrariums from recycled jars (small figures, rocks, etc)
Start seeds inside for a Spring garden
Indoor games-like Hide ‘n Seek, Charades and Sardines
Make a family newspaper-kids turn reporters for the latest “scoop.” Fill it with artwork, etc.
Let toddler play in the sink (it’s only water and easy to clean up)
Play with cars and make a wrapping paper tube tunnel for them to drive thru
Music and a dance party (Hokey Pokey, Chicken Dance)
Snowball fight with large cotton balls
Create pencil cups from recycled Campbell soup cans
Bubbles baths
Pajama day with lots of blankets, pillows
Finger paint with pudding on paper
Sock war (like a snowball fight, only with socks)
Snow Angels with packing peanuts!

Outside

Ski, sled (on storage box lids), build snowmen
Time relays without coats
Snow ball fight
Make snow angels
Have a winter picnic with hot chocolate, warm soup, rolls, etc
Visit the library
Go roller skating

This post is sponsored by Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup who wants you to know that 32 feet of fresh egg noodles go into every can. For lots of fresh ideas about how to keep your kids entertained and the chance to win $500, check out Wintery Weather Fun at DivineCaroline.

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Community Question/Discussion #3

1:00 pm Bykristen

Question: Do you ask your child more than once to do something?

Join in the conversation here.

Thoughts are based on the book Have a New Kid by Friday by Dr. Leman.

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Well. That’s Not Fun At All

7:00 am Bykristen

[no laughing, chuckling or smiling allowed while reading this post.]

Do you know what’s not fun?

Mattress shopping.

It ranks right there between shopping for a car transmission and someone to take out your gallbladder.

You know what else isn’t fun?

Going to your in-law’s farm (7 hours away) for three days and returning exhausted, only to discover your cat was locked in your daughter’s room while you were gone.

THREE DAYS, y’all.

Not fun—-

daughter’s bed (used as a litter box)
a dehydrated, half-starved cat.
shopping for a mattress (but it’s cheaper than carpet)

(um, found out why Sam’s has good deals on mattresses…

because you are the delivery service)

Alrighty then, I think I’m done now.

[please note: the kitty was harmed in the making of this post, but appears to be all better now]

Are you smiling?

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7:00 am Bykristen

Dan-Compassion employee who was rescued from the earthquake after being trapped for 65 hours-SO touching!

The sweetest ruffle shirt ever- If I could sew, I’d be making one of these for myself. In every color.

The most beautiful definition of grace I’ve ever read by Katie.

Send Haiti Health Kits- make a difference by sending basic supplies {great family project}

(just fixed the above link)

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On My Camera

1:00 pm Bykristen

Yesterday, I realized I hadn’t taken any pictures in days (unusual for me). I hadn’t downloaded my camera either. I laughed at the random goodness that awaited me and thought I’d share it with you.

Because sometimes random is enough:

And this is what my dining room table looked like before my hubby and I got it STUCK in the doorway at 12:30 in the A.M. this past weekend, while trying to convert my unused formal dining room into a home office.

I took a picture, so I could sell it. Price ~~$100~~ Sale $50 (scratch/dent clearance).

I’ll share pictures of my new home office project soon. (you know, as soon as I take them and let them sit on my camera for a week).

What’s on your camera, right now?

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Creating a Family Mission Statement

7:00 am Bykristen

Our family sat down after dinner the other night with paper and pen.

I read this wonderful article on creating a family mission statement and knew it was something we should do!

Why write a mission statement for your family? Because it asks the question….why are we doing this? Let’s face it, we have busy lives, pressed with pressure to fill every hour of every day.

With a family mission statement, it helps us remember that everything we do should have a purpose.

We started by brainstorming some goals we’d like to accomplish as a family. We talked about diverting our normal vacation money towards a goal of going on a family mission trip and making a point to have fun on a regular basis. (My kids threw the word adoption in there, too, and we suggested they pray for their Mommy and Daddy).

Goals are different than a mission statement. Goals are things you want to accomplish/do. Mission statements are they whys behind what you do.

In this article, How to Write a Family Mission Statement, there are practical ideas and examples with this formula–

To…. (Do something)

In such a way that….. (Quality of action)

So that…. (We gain these results or benefits)

Here’s what we came up with:

“To make a difference in the world, a single light, shining brightly in such a way that we keep Jesus our focus, listen closely to His voice & enjoy life. So that we can say at the end of the day, we’ve touched others & thrived.”

I printed the words out and gathered some scrapbook paper and a frame I never used on an older project:

I glued the words to the paper and framed it:

Just having those words down on paper makes me feel we’re on the right track!

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He Said/She Said (2): Lust and Your Marriage

7:00 am Bykristen

Well. Brace yourself, because we’re not holding back today. [Please be conscious of children in the room when you read this post/listen to my husband's vlog].

As most of you know, I shared that Forgiveness is a Part of My Story over at (in)Courage a few weeks ago. I was blown away by the mass volume of private emails and public comments from women that day and steadily since. Women sharing similar circumstances, asking for prayer, believing for a miracle, reaching out for help.

My hubby and I prayed about it; He Said/She Said was born. (post #1, in case you missed it).

She Said:

I grew up naively and married naively. I was a virgin (or SUPER-virgin, as we now jokingly say) and I wouldn’t change that in any way. I pray my children can offer their future spouses the same gift one day.

I didn’t know much about lust. I remember my Dad carefully guarding and protecting my sister and I from boys. He would always say “I know how boys think.” I knew what he was referring too, but I thought it was just some boys. I didn’t know that all boys struggled with lust.

I certainly didn’t know that men (98% of them according to studies of Christian and non), including the one I’d marry, battled the same enemy.

It was years into our marriage, before I made this discovery. I’d always heard men are “visual.” I knew provocatively dressed women enticed men. But that is just scratching the surface of a man’s world.

In my hubby’s video below, he shares when he was first exposed to an image of a nude woman and how that began a battle he wouldn’t have the tools to win until just four years ago. He was just a boy, weaponless, struggling with an omnipresent opponent.

I want to share with you what I’ve learned about men and lust. My education came from my own experience and from a book that I cannot recommend highly enough. I discovered it in the throes of my crumbling marriage. It was a lifesaver:For Women Only: What You Need to Know about the Inner Lives of Men by Shaunti Feldhahn, opened my eyes to my husband’s mind, his battlefield.

[The rest of this post will contain information directly from this book]

In the chapter, Keeper of the Visual Rolodex, Shaunti explains (after years of research and interviewing 1,000 Christian men) even happily married men struggle with being pulled toward live and recollected images of other women. Ninety-eight percent of the men responded that when an attractive woman enters the room, they can’t NOT want to look. (She goes on to explain that they have a choice right here. Remember, it’s not a sin to be tempted or when involuntary images pop into the mind. But if we devour that image, fantasize, so on and so on, then that’s giving into the temptation).

What “Men are Visual Means”: 1. An “eye magnet” or woman who is dressed to show off her beautiful body is extremely hard to avoid and even when he forces himself not to look, he is acutely aware of her presence. 2. Even when an eye magnet isn’t present, men have a “mental Rolodex” of stored images that can intrude into his thoughts without warning. (These can be snapshots of women they’ve seen before or sensual images from movies (bad), magazines (bad), even of you, his wife (good).

This was a lot for me to take in the first time I read it. Since then, I’ve discussed it with my hubby and he’s confirmed it. Our world is a dangerous minefield for our husbands.

Next week, I’ll share some more on this subject (I’ll offer some reassurances and things we can do to help them in the battle), meanwhile, please pray for your mate. His battle is real. The enemy is fierce. Stumbling blocks pepper his path. Pray he will be strong. Pray for him to resist temptation. Pray God will use you to minister to your spouse.

He Said:

Click here to watch.

Is any of this information new to you? Have you talked to your husband about it? Perhaps, the table is turned and as a woman, you struggle with lust. If you’re a visual person, this might not be news to you (25% of women are “visual”).

Or you may be in the percentage of men/women who aren’t affected by these issues.

Either way, we are praying for you and your marriage.

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DIFOP Update

9:00 pm Bykristen

The fleece blankets for Hospice are starting to roll in.

Please email me for the P.O. Box to send your completed projects to: kristenwrites@yahoo.com

The deadline (for me to RECEIVE) the blankets is January 31st!!

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WFMW: Lego Necklace

7:00 am Bykristen

We’ll call it a HomeComing (without a corsage).

Now. The matter at hand: a fun project I want to share with you…for you to share with others!

On a whim, I made a Lego necklace for my son. It’s been such a hit everywhere he wears it:

If you have a Lego fan in the family or have a friend who adores the tiny building blocks, you might want to consider this very easy project:

1. Choose a colored square Lego brick and purchase ball chain and a package of Pendant Bails from any craft store (you’ll also need some strong adhesive glue):

2. Glue the pendant to the back of the Lego:

3. Let the glue dry for at least an hour:

4. Thread the chain through the pendant bail:

5. Totally cute (and I’m not just talking about the necklace):

And that, my friends, works for me!

Thank you for joining me for WFMW! {You can read the guidelines here.}

Have a Works-For-Me Wednesday tip you’d like to share? I’d love for you to join us! Please note that the links will close on Thursday, in order to keep away the spammers!

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Mom Tried It (Mixed Up Mittens)

<
li style="padding-right:2px;"> Kirsty@Momedy – No Nasty Chemicals – GIVEAWAY!!

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Winter Weather Fun {Giveaway}

12:01 am Bykristen

My part of Texas isn’t exactly known for SEVERE WINTER WEATHER.

But somebody should tell that to my toes because they are so cold! We recently spent 4 days in a row below freezing last week and that’s some kind of record around here.

And before you make fun of my not-so-cold-weather *cough-yes, I’m talking to Northerners here* it’s scientifically proven (maybe) that since Texas bodies are acclimatised to warmer weather, when it gets colder here, we feel it just like when it gets (very) cold up north. So there. But don’t quote me on that because I sorta made it up.

But let’s just say it was too cold to play outside, so we did some fun indoor stuff, like BUILD A GIANT FORT WITH BUNGEE CORDS. Because that’s how my hubby learned it in Fort Building School.

This was a serious structure that encompassed our entire stairwell.

And all the spare sheets/blankets in the house:

Why, yes, THAT WOULD BE ROPE & BUNGEE (we don’t mess around):

This was the biggest and most sturdy fort ever constructed in my home. (I’m so proud). We left it up for days. My kids read books by themselves and to their little sister, ate lunch, played spy games and SLEPT in this home-0f-sheets.

It definitely helped pass the hours of not being able to play outside!

I’m participating in Campbell’s 32 Days of Winter Weather Fun and they are offering a $50 Visa gift card to a random commenter who share their fun ideas for those cold winter days.

Your comment is your entry and this giveaway will end next Tuesday when I announce the winner and share some of your great Winter Weather Fun ideas!

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Steady Mom {Book Giveaway}

7:00 pm Bykristen

Updated with winners: Thanks for entering! Here are the two random winners: Care-in and Miki! Congratulations!

One of the most fabulous parts of blogging is meeting other moms. Moms that rock (yes, Moms like you).

I met Steady Mom (Jamie Martin) via Works For Me Wednesday.

Her new book, Steady Days is a journey toward intentional professional motherhood. It includes practical ideas, inspiration, schedules, worksheets and more!

“You already have the skills you need to be an incredible mother. Empower yourself by reading Steady Days and implementing the ideas to benefit those important little people who call you mom,” Jamie Martin.

Simply put, this book is a handbook for mothers.

And hello, if your kids are like mine (I’m currently scrubbing marker off my toddler’s door) than a manual sounds SPLENDID.

It’s an easy read that helps moms develop an organized parenting plan.

If you’d like to win a copy (I’m giving away TWO), please leave a comment.

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Her Name is Grace Because He is Amazing

12:01 am Bykristen

This is the day I met my third child for the first time. I held her one week later, attempted to nurse her two weeks after that.

After God did a miracle in my marriage, I started dreaming of having another baby. A third child. We were already blessed with a girl and boy and thought we were done.

But then, we fell in love again. And it just seemed right that a baby come from our new union. . .

To continue reading, please visit (in)Courage

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Community Question/Discussion #2

8:45 pm Bykristen

Has your child ever been disrespectful to you?

That’s the big topic at my Blog Frog forum today.

{Come learn the tools that will make them stop in their tracks, leave their jaw hanging open and give you back the power you need to parent efficiently.}

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12:01 am Bykristen

Buy a Valentine’s T-Shirt (adorable) and an orphan gets a new pair of shoes! This is what my hubby and I are giving each other this year for that sweet day! 100% of the money goes towards orphans!

Look how cute:

Photo bracelet-Oh my! I love this!

Writer’s Anonymous- amazing story of a big blogger…with a lot of doubts (let’s pray for her too!)

Craft Hope-you can send new hygiene items and donations to Haiti.

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Hi. My Name is Kristen & I Have No Idea What I’m Doing

12:01 am Bykristen

So. I’m sensing a theme for 2010 in my life. It starts with un and ends with comfortable.

The first half, of the first month of the year, has me sweating.

Because there are 350+ days left and I think God likes me perspiring.

I’m not complaining. Actually, the opposite. I’m delighted to participate on a panel at the Blissdom Blogging Conference in a few weeks. {It’s the Get Published panel. I’m the Before}.

And I was invited to speak at the Christian Blogging Conference, Relevant, in Hershey, PA, in October. Is it hot in here?

Oh, and I’M GOING TO AFRICA!!! -the real Africa that’s a different continent from my family (and I’m more than a little afraid/excited/nervous/thrilled).

As if all that wasn’t enough, the other night we sat down to create a Family Mission Statement (post coming soon). We were brainstorming family goals and my 10 year old said OUT OF THE BLUE, “Mom, can you add adoption to that list and put ten lines under it?”

Before I could even comprehend her statement, my son, “Yeah, Mom. We’ve been talking about it and we want to adopt a kid. I’ll share my room.”

Me: ::::::::::::::::DEAD SILENCE::::::::::::::::::::::::::

I just wanted y’all to know that I have no idea what I’m doing.

And I’m okay with that.

Want to win 3 mo of advertising on this blog for $1? (for Haiti)
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Win 3 Months of Advertising for $1

4:53 pm Bykristen

For a $1 raffle ticket, you have a chance to win a THREE MONTH advertising package (includes a 125×125 ad) on

We are THAT family.

Value $180

Enter Here

(open to all business’, personal blogs, family-friendly only)

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Please Stop What You’re Doing & Do Something

12:00 pm Bykristen

I believe everyone, can do something. Great or small, your sacrifice will make a difference.

You can give $10 to Compassion’s Disaster Relief Fund (added to your next phone bill) by texting “disaster” to 90999
Make a donation to Compassion’s Disaster Relief Fund here

Help Haiti Donate To Compassion International Banner

From Compassion International:

Compassion sponsors and donors serve more than 65,000 children in Haiti. At least a third of them live in the areas that were hardest hit.

I am asking you to please send a generous gift today to help precious children and their families, and to encourage others to give to Compassion International through your blog, Facebook and Myspace pages, Twitter account and e-mail. Please utilize every on-line tool you have access to. The people of Haiti desperately need our help and hope.

Compassion International is working rapidly to assess the situation and determine the full extent of damage:
• Sadly, we anticipate there will be many deaths.
• We anticipate thousands of children and families will have lost everything.
• We anticipate many of our church-based child development centers will have been destroyed.

You can provide immediate relief today.
• $35 helps provide a relief pack filled with enough food and water to sustain a family for one week.
• $70 gift helps care for their needs for two weeks.
• $105 helps provide relief packs filled with enough food and water to sustain two families for two weeks.
• $210 gift helps care for two families’ needs.
• $525 helps provide relief packs filled with enough food and water to sustain 10 families for two weeks.
• $1,050 gift helps care for 10 families’ needs.
• $1,500 helps rebuild a home.
• $2,100 helps supply 20 families with the basics for three weeks.
Due to the high number of responses it may take longer than normal to process your transaction.

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He Said/She Said #1

7:00 am Bykristen

I’m so happy to introduce you to our first He Said/She Said post!

Three times a month, my hubby and I will tackle tough issues and perspectives…me from a woman’s point of view and my hubby from a man’s.

We’re going to go easy today and just introduce each other. [Next week, we're starting a multi-part series on Lust and Your Marriage]

You guys already know me pretty well, but I thought the best way to tell you about my hubby was for you to read the letter he gave me for my special box on our fifteenth anniversary a couple of weeks ago:

Dear Kristen,

2 young adults

1 college

1 plan – HIS plan

6 months from first date to wedding day

2000 dollars to our name

17 jobs – bank teller/teacher, youth/children’s pastor, sandwich deliverer, nutrisystem, ABQ youth/children’s pastor, church janitor, aventis, youth pastor, tutor, lawn mower, pds flunkie, forest, pds editor, blogger

7 houses – athens, benton, albuquerque, rio rancho, sunrise, sterling ridge, where we live today

9 cars - toyota, isuzu, mazda, villager, rabbit, chevy truck, saturn, volkswagon, pontiac

11 pets – navy, bear, bailey, snoopy, katie, zorro, zoee, alice, marshmallow, ike, sasha

1 adoption attempted

1 child we prayed for

1 child we needed

1 child lost

1 child we wanted

1 family complete

5 kidney stones

10 nieces and nephews

3 trips to national fine arts

4 dinner theaters

6 games of broomball

50,000 rehearsals, lock-ins, plays, prayer meetings, youth rallies, camps, puppet skits

750000 miles logged

2 pastors and 1 jerk

3 million decisions

1000 fights

1000 make ups

10000 kisses

6 trips to Disney

700 garage sales

200 antique stores

30 school programs

1000 car lines

1 horrible confession

1 act of forgiveness

1 cross for my sins

1 wife to woo again

1 broken man

1 marriage transformed by HIM

10,000 prayers

66 books of the bible

19 children’s birthdays

20 + trips to the emergency room

1 iweb program that spawned 1 blogger blog

1500 wake ups in the middle of the night

14 lost teeth

218 sick days

10 million blissful memories

50 hours of video tape

8039 photos snapped

9 visits from santa

1 commitment

1 incredible woman that i fall in love with everyday, over and over. 1 girl to laugh with, to love, to hold to share. 1 God that binds us together and keeps us focused when our vision blurs. 1 amazing life relationship that many yearn to experience. 15 years past.
an class=”Apple-style-span” style=”color:#000066;”>God willing many years to seize and live to the fullest.

I love you,

Your husband.

_________________________________

Amazing, huh? I can still taste the tears I shed from this letter.

You guys are in for a treat! He vlogged his:

Click here to watch.

Oh, yeah, but I cut him off a little because he started to tell you how I wake him up when I can’t sleep–

Tell us something about your spouse that inspires you in the comments!

Stay tuned for next week: He Said/She Said: Lust and Your Marriage

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WFMW- Avoid Toddler Tantrums (w/an iPhone)

10:32 pm Bykristen

Recently, I made a discovery that truly works for me: iPhone apps for Toddlers (by a smart company called Tantrum Apps, obviously a parent is the CEO).

Normally, I wouldn’t dare hand my 3 year old my iPhone. She isn’t always careful and let’s face it, she might try to slather it with peanut butter and flush it down the commode.

But sometimes life presents situations (um, everyday) where you have to wait with a toddler-doctor’s visits, restaurants, soccer games, grocery stores-and maybe you’ve recognized that these little blessings aren’t always patient. I’ve found in these special monitored circumstances, that the iPhone is ideal.

WARNING: I strongly suggest a rubber case for when it’s dropped.

Here are a couple of my favorites (that are free to download):

Toddler Teasers- This one is very educational and I was shocked at how much my little girl knew! It’s highly interactive and praises your child with right answers. My favorite so far.
Hatch-This was strictly designed for distraction and it works. The child taps the egg until it hatches open to reveal a small animal. The animal changes with each hatched egg.
I Hear Ewe-A really cute game that is basically animal/sound recognition. Cute!

Toddler apps work for me! (Oh, and by the way, I’M GOING TO AFRICA!)

Thank you for joining me for WFMW! {You can read the guidelines here.}

Have a Works-For-Me Wednesday tip you’d like to share? I’d love for you to join us! Please note that the links will close on Thursday, in order to keep away the spammers!

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I’m Going to…..

4:43 pm Bykristen

Two years ago something amazing happened that changed my life.

I was brand new to the blog world and discovered a community of bloggers, like Rocks in My Dryer and Boo Mama. They were both talking about going to Africa with Compassion International and blogging their trip.

It was during that week on their amazing journey, that we welcomed our first Compassion child, Bereket from Ehthiopia, into our hearts. I’ll never forget explaining the work of Compassion to my children over dinner, showing them his picture.

We set out to help him. In doing so, he’s helped us. We see the needs of others more clearly now because of that boy.

We chose Ethiopia because we knew my twin sister and her family would be bringing home a new daughter from there. She’s home and, oh my, has my heart grown for the continent of her birth. I think of her sisters, left behind, working as slaves and worse, every day. I whisper prayers over them.

And then, I discovered Kisses from Katie in Uganda. I shared my heavy, heart-burden for the unbelievable life of sacrifice this young woman leads. You helped me carry the burden and together we bought $3,200 in chickens and blankets in just 24 hours.

Just this past Christmas, under the tree, was a package with our new sponsored child, Judith from Uganda, where Katie lives. She’s ten, like my daughter and they have already written to each other.

And today, just two hours ago, I sat with my kids as they lovingly and longingly chose a third child to sponsor.

Her name is Makena, she’s 6 and she’s from Kenya. (She was chosen because a little red heart marked her Compassion picture which signified that she has been waiting for a sponsor for at least six months. My son, “Mom, no child should wait that long.”)

My heart has grown.

And now, my life is going to change forever.

It’s surreal, that two years after discovering the blog world and sponsoring our first Compassion child, and even more recently, falling in love with a strange land I’ve only seen in pictures, that I’m going….

to Kenya, Africa, with Compassion International.

Many details, papers, arrangements need to be made, but one thing is heavy on my heart as I type this…I need to ask, will you pray for me?

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La Bella Jewels {Giveaway}

7:00 am Bykristen

UPDATED w/WINNERS: Congratulations to Stephanie from Musings of a Modern Day Mom and SamnHal of The Married Couple (y’all email me, k?) The rest of you go buy yourself something nice at La Bella Jewels. You deserve it.

Four Layers of Love Sterling Hand Stamped Necklace - Thicker Charms All in the Family Sterling Coin Necklace - Hand Stamped and Personalized Just for You All In The Family 7 Name Hand Stamped Bracelet

Sometimes you don’t need words to describe something beautiful.

La Bella Jewels speak for themselves.

La Bella has been a long-time sponsor of my blog and she has fallen in love with the life-changing blog of Kisses From Katie. She created this gorgeous necklace, specifically for the amazing ministry that feeds, clothes, covers and even provides chickens for poverty-ridden orphans: Amazima (translated to mean truth).

And she’s sending Katie one!

This sterling silver dainty necklace is gorgeous, $30

She is generously donating HALF of the proceeds from this necklace to Amazima!!

La Bella Jewels is also offering TWO $50 gift certificates, to two readers today, winner’s choice.

Would you consider supporting Amazima by purchasing this beautiful necklace too, so others will know the truth?

Please leave a comment as your entry. This giveaway will close Thursday.

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Community Question #1

8:50 am Bykristen

Today, in my community (sidebar) we’re talking about the parenting book Have a New Kid by Friday .

Question: What are some parenting areas you’d like to discuss: battle with a picky eater, talking back, sibling rivalry, bedtime, etc…??? Have you/are you reading this book?

You can post a question, comment, opinion any time, but I will be on there for LIVE discussion at 10 A.M. CST and again 1:30 P.M.

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Guitar Hero 3 Year-O

7:00 am Bykristen

Debuting her new title “Cinderella, the Witch and Rudolph on a Froggy Night”

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98MVyqHiYuc]

I think I’m going to like the threes, mostly. (I added the mostly part, because this weekend, she locked herself in the bathroom, decorated the walls with soap and then couldn’t get out because of slippery hands. Oy.)

What’s your favorite age?

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