What's Up Wednesday; Family Relationships

So the Lord has really been speaking/reminding me of the importance of praying and fasting over our family and marriage! It seems like more now then ever the family and marriage is being attacked by satan. Which means we as christians must fight back and regain the ground lost through the power of prayer, fasting, and our victorious Lord!

So...I went to check out my sweet friend Amy's blog and she had this amazing post I wanted to share!

Seems like Maw & I are always talking about this & when I read this chapter in my Stormie Omartian book the other day, I just knew I wanted to share it here.

****************

'How many family relationships are left to chance because no one prays about them? Far too many, I suspect. It's sad to see families split apart & individual members have nothing to do with one another when they are grown. It's heartbreaking to think of that happening with our own children. Yet it doesn't have to be that way.

In Isaiah 58, God tells of all the wonderful things that will happen when we fast & pray. He says, "You shall raise up the foundations of many generations; & you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach." (Isaiah 58:12) God wants us to restore unity, to maintain the family bonds in the Lord, & to leave a spiritual inheritance of solidarity that can last for generations.'

***************

"Let us pursue the things which make for peace & the things by which on may edify another." (Romans 14: 19)

"Be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous." (I Peter 3:8)

"Behold, how good & pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity." (Psalm 133:1)

"...that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind...." (I Cor. 1:10)

The battle is ours to be won! We serve a wonderful and powerful God! Let's get to it! Fight for victory through prayer!

Blessings,

Jewels

Diggin our Daddy!

Happy Daddy's day to all the daddy's out there! What a important and impacting role a Father has on a child's, and families, life! God has given them an incredible strength and call as Fathers! We need to remember to pray wisdom, love, discernment, and blessings upon these men as they strive to be the Father's/Daddy's God has called them to be!

We are diggin our daddy and are blessed to have him!

~~~~

Here is the canvas the kids and I made for Daddy for Father's Day!

We truly thank our Lord for the amazing gift He has given us in Tu. He is a wonderful Father/Daddy and our kids love him so much! When I asked Tre and Aaliyah to tell me some things they loved about their daddy to create his gift these are some of the things they said...

What do you love about daddy?...

Daddy dates

daddy payers

he's silly

playing swords

when daddy takes me to get pink flowers

pajama runs

wrestling

playing baseball

playing football

reading books and the bible with him

eating...with all of us

Tu is truly a blessing and we praise the Lord for him! Thanks babe for being a great Daddy! You are so appreciated and LOVED! May you all have a wonderful Father's Day! Bless those Father's around you with words of encouragement, affirmation, and prayers of blessings!

With Joy,

~Jewels~

Celebrating 21

This is a canvas I made for Hannah's 21st birthday! I have been blessed to be able to get to know Hannah while here. She is my sweet and amazing Mrs. Kollene's daughter and a treasure just like her mom! Hannah is a sweet and beautiful, friend, daughter, sister, and daughter of the KING! We love her mucho!

So this last thursday we were blessed to celebrate a dear friends birthday! Miss Hannah Hays, turned 21, and Tu and I were so blessed to join her and her family for a wonderful meal and celebration! This family is truly amazing and a huge blessing to us! They are each angels from heaven and we are so thankful to have the Lord bless us with people like them... truly family to us!!! We love them so much! Thanks Hays family! Your awesome! Here are a few pics from the night too...

This is Hannah. The beautiful birthday girl!

Daddy and Daughter

The beautiful couple and parents of the bday girl.

Hannah and Brian

Us

The guys...

The girls

What a wonderful night! We are so very thankful for the Hays family! We love you all! Happy 21st Hannah!

love in Jesus,

Jewels

What's Up Wednesday: Triple Joy!

WOW! Summer is suppose to be a time to relax and I feel like it's as busy as Christmas right now! Crazy how that works, huh! Well I will have to catch you all up on the family events and pics a little later. For this Wednesday I want to focus on an amazing praise! This is my most recent answer to prayer...

So when I was about to deliver Jaylin I really wanted a tripple jogger stroller and started searching to find if they even had such a thing. I figured they did because people have tripplets and more. Well I didn't have tripplets, but I was so blessed to have three babies very close together! Because none of them are in preschool or kinder yet I have the blessing of having them all at home with me... which I love and I am thankful for! However, mama needs a break, or fresh air every now and again... and so do the kids! Can I get an Amen! :)

My search online led me to the realization that these handy little strollers could cost me as much as a cheap car! $1,000 are you for real?!!? How could they do that. Well, I decided to craigslist the item and found that they (good condition ones that you could actually jog with) were still about $400.00 to $500.00 which was still out of our price range. I asked my hubby anyways, knowing it was out of our price range when I found one in the $300.00 range. He told me NO and that we had plenty of time before Jaylin would be sitting up. Not the answer I wanted! I was very disappointed and prayed over this a few times. Honestly, more out of frustration and expressing my desire to the Lord. But our God is so good! He hears and cares about little and big

So fast forward to a text from my sweet friend who saw on her facebook that her friend (a sweet angel for sure), who lives near was selling a jogger for $150.00. You can imagine my excitement when I read this text! However, I had some reservations and was nervous to gain my hubby's approval. But by God's amazing grace and His perfect timing Tu said, " Let's get it!" I was esthetic! And just like that I was making calls trying to make the exchange. My sweet friend Sarah picked it up for me while we were out of town and when we returned it was assembled in my garage and I was so blessed and couldn't wait to use it!

The kids did really great in it, and looked so darn cute! The stroller is smooth, HEAVY, but smooth, and very wide! There are times when I have to off-road (off sidewalk), but it's all good! I am just thankful to have something that allows us to get out a bit in the fresh air and God's beautiful creation! Thank you sweet Jesus! He is good!

Needless to say I am triple blessed by the Lord's amazing grace, love, and care for me! He is truly amazing! Thank you sweet Jesus for this triple jogger it has been a triple joy!

God is good! He wants to hear and cares about our smallest to our deepest desires!

Praise JESUS!

~Have a blessed day~

Jewels

Lovin Jammies

We are just lovin us some Jammies Latley

There is something so sweet and simple about Jammies that we just love! While jammies are just clothes they do bring with them an array of little blessings. I love the smell of my sweet little ones after bath in their jammies, the warmth of their cuddles before bed, and the joy of their smile and love in the morning when they bounce out of bed. These are just some of the moments I treasure with my little ones in their jammies.

The kids love their jammies and will often ask to stay in them, go to the store in them, and where them whenever they can.... and at times I let them do it all in their jammies. We even play games and go get yogurt in them... regardless of the looks we get :). They both have their favorites, and when they are dirty they constantly ask me if I am done cleaning them and when the basket of clean clothes comes in from the garage they want to search through it for their clean jammie favs. Recently Tre asked me if I could not take so long to wash his favorite rocket jammies. I just laughed and told him I would do my best! Aaliyah had a pair of minnie mouse jammies (the feet kind) that she loved and would wear whenever possible and as much as possible. Well as she began to out grow her toes made room for feet. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore so I cut the feet and she still loves them just as much! It's hilarious, but those are her minnie mouse jammies... and she just loves them as much as Tre loves his rocket jammies....and I just love allowing them to get cozy and watching them get so excited! It just makes me want to hold and squeeze them... which I do! It's so much fun!

Lately I have loved getting the girls matching anything... but Jammies are so fun!

Oh... thank you Lord for the sweet and simple joys in children! They are blessings!

Love and prayers

~jewels~

~Tu Thanks~

So this Wednesday I have to take a moment to brag on my best friend and wonderful Hubby! He is an amazing Husband and Daddy and he continues to impact the world around him for the LORD! I am so thankful that he loves Jesus and that with the Lord's help we can continue to love each other and walk in Christ! It's easy to get caught up in life and caring for the kids and not take the time to appreciate and reflect upon the good about our spouse or loved ones! I have a great women in my life who has encouraged me to PRAISE and THANK for the little and big! So I want to take this time to PRAISE the LORD for my Husband Thank Him and TU both! He is truly a blessing and I probably don't tell Him enough! Thanks babe! Love you!...

Here are a few things that blessed my heart this week about Tu... He has taken time to "Play" with the kids baseball, read books, listen to them tell their very long stories :) I know it means so much to them and he has to sacrifice time to do so!

He also has being writing for this Athletic Buzz and blessed me by his encouraging words! He also just received an awesome email from a former player I would love to share...

Hi coach Price, it's me Ryan Benson from last years CCS team. I finally have the courage to talk to you and tell you how much of an impact you've made on my life. I was changed by the drive you had for us, pushing us to become better on the field, and better in our individual lives. But more importantly, I realize that I saw Jesus in you: that's really what I wanted to get at. I accepted Christ seriously into my life this 10th grade year, and I wanted to tell you that I got baptized just last week, and understand His grace for me (though I still have much to learn from Him).

And here is my pic for the photo challenge of two books that I highly recommend! come back later for more info on these wonderful recourses!

Take the time to appreciate your loved ones! It changes our outlook and heart! Really, we are blessed and have much to be thankful for!

May the Lord bless your day! THank you for stopping by!

Jaylin at 9 months

Our girl is 9 months!!! Crazy how time is flying! At 9 months she is...

*adorable

*standing with help (pulling herself up)

*starting to eat with her hands (little small things, cubed avocado, egg whites, and other soft food)

* drinking with her cup more (she use to not like it)

* crawling around like crazy

* adorable

* waving

* saying mama (first time was the first week of June... this week) :)

* getting two more teeth (two front teeth)

* first visit to church nursery (okay 9 months is way too long, but I am weird)

* did I mention adorable :)

*Sitting up in bath :O

She is a little bundle of GREAT joy! We love her so...

Graduation Time

So it's that time of year! Lots of Graduations! We have one particular student at the school who has watched the kids. She is a sweetheart and we have grown to love her! Her love for the Lord and for others is evident in all she does! One of those special children of the most High! We love Jessica and are so blessed to have had a chance to have her in our lives!

I wanted to share one of my staple gifts I give for graduations. I use the Graduates announcement as a way to create a gift that will be a keepsake for the graduate. I enjoy doing these and while I work on them I reflect on the person and the value of them in my life. I will often pray over them during my creating and enjoy the time to focus on them! It's so fun! Jessica's gift was made on a canvas which I painted first then layered as it where a scrapbook page! I truly had a blast doing this! The kids even got to help a little with painting the letters... they loved being apart too!

Tre (not so happy because I made him stop watching a show to take this pic) and "A" girl at daddy's school for graduation! The rain stopped today for a little while which made the sky absolutely BEAUTIFUL and I was able to get a new CLOUD shot for my 30 day photo challenge! When I took this picture and then when I uploaded it I am in awe of the beauty of our God! Seriously!!! Look at the amazing handiwork of the Lord! Now that's an artist! Thank you sweet CREATOR KING! In these pics you can even see the difference between when the sun was out and when it was being covered again. So amazing! God that is... not the picture! :) lol! Have a blessed day in Jesus!

Jewels

Pink Mini

Today my sweet n simple post is about this little Pink Mini...

food Processor! What a blessing it is to have something to be able to make Jaylin's food in! This is a mini processor which I was blessed to be able to nab on sale with a gift card and a coupon! Thank you Lord! It has made my life so much easier making Jaylin's food... I was using a magic bullet before....If you know what that is it was taking me FOREVER to make her food. With this, although it's a mini, it feels huge compared to the bullet! AWE The simple things that bless a mama's life!

Here is my Mommy Tip...

Making your own baby food is a money saving trick! It does take some time, but I do believe it's worth it! Plus the variety of foods you can introduce to your baby is wonderful! I will steam or bake any veggies add a little water and mix it up in my pink mini. I usually try to do a weeks worth on Sunday and have it ready in the fridge. (You could definitely freeze it, but I choose not to for a number of reasons which I won't get into right now), but you totally can! No judgement from me! Do what works! I use these jars, which my sweet mom blessed me with (but you can get a case at walmart for very reasonable) and the lids too! They come with the metal lids, but they rust and are a pain, so the plastic lids are a blessing! I fill each of these jars and make enough to last me through the week. I keep them in the fridge and when it's time for our little J baby to eat I pull one jar out and either boil it in water (without the lid on), or heat it up in the oven each takes about 10 minutes. I don't microwave! I don't own one (on purpose)! The amount of radio waves and radiation I believe to be harmful so I choose to do without! But as I said before... no judgement on my part... Do what works for you! This system has worked for me with each of our kidos so I though I would share! Here are a few things J baby has eaten lately...

*black beans and carrots (she LOVES this)

* avacados and oatmeal

*spinach

*greens

*carrots, peas,

* broccoli, carrots,

*zucchini

*cucumbers

*green beens

* lots of other yummy veggies

Thank you for stopping by!

Choose Joy

Jewels

Favorite Shoes, Hands, Clouds

This is the continuing of the 30 days of photo challenge

June 2nd was Favorite shoes...

these are one of my favorite pair of shoes I own. I have had them for probably 7 years so don't judge they are a little warn, but I love them. They are cute and comfy and for heals comfy is rare right ladies?

June 3rd Hands...

these are precious Aaliyah's hands as she was holding her bible, while on quite time,

pretending to read from it! So precious!

These are the moments that make your heart overflow as a mommy!

These are the three kids hands... I will be scrapping both these hand pics eventually!

June 4th~ Clouds~

so usually in June clouds are hard to come by in Cali, but not today. These are the yucky clouds that hovered over our house today... not the best pic but it's what was available to me today.

So that wraps up my photo challenge for today!

Many blessings to you all!

~Jewels~

~30 day Photo Fun and a prayer request~

So my sweet bloggy friend Addie shared this fun photo challenge for the month. I am not doing it cause I don't take enough pictures (Really I probably take too many), but I am doing it to focus on FUN and DIFFERENT photo opps and play with my camera! I am looking forward to this! If you want to join the fun... Please join us and post them on your blog! So it's a challenge for each day and I have one uploaded to my computer and hope to get the others uploaded today sometime! But I had a quick minute to post the first "self portrait" challenge.

p.s. I have a huge prayer request... my external hard drive that I had a large bulk of my photos (all my babies births) is not working! We had the tech guy at Tu's school look at it and he couldn't fix it! Please pray that when I take it to the geek squad at best buy they can retrieve the pics and it won't cost us a small fortune. Thanks so much for your prayers!

Thanks for stopping by have a blessed day in Jesus!

~with Joy~

Jewels

Walmart STAMP

I have been wanting to share this book with you all... It's called the Mentor Mom by Jackie Kendell. It's amazing! Pick it up on amazon you won't regret it!

In the first few chapters she talks about what images and lessons you are stamping (and will stamp) on the minds and hearts of your children through your actions. Things they will say... "I remember mom use to..." Things they will do..."directly modeling you." Will it be images of you praying on your knees, reading His word, praying with and for them... etc" Awesome picture! I just loved it! That may be the whole crafty or scrapper in me but I could so picture this! I want to stamp images of God and His love on the mind of my children. This is something I have been praying through and thinking about lately. And don't you know when the Lord is challenging you in an area He gives you opportunity to practice! Here is a story of some practice He allowed in my life today...

okay so i have to share this crazy TRUE story that happened to me today... a true opportunity to stamp!

So we were completely out of some things we needed asap at the store. I was trying to convince myself all morning to go to the store. I had talked myself through the process all morning of waiting until Jaylin woke from her first nap, nurse her, feed all the kids lunch by 11:15, go potty (so no one has to go at the store), wash hands, put on shoes, change diaper, and grab purse and daddy's lunch to drop off, so we could be out the door by 11:30 and back by 1:00 for a late nap! Late nap days are always hard and a little stressful, but sacrifices had to be made to make the trip to the store happen. I just kept going over it in my head so that I could convinces myself it was a good idea... shopping that is (with three VERY little people)! YEAH! Not so much!!!

First let me say that I love and hate the bay area! There are areas that are beautiful and green and wonderful to explore and there are people in our life God has brought us that we love, but it's (at least the silicon valley) is very BUSY, HECTIC, CHAOTIC, and OVERWHELMING at times! And I am sure it's heightened by three little ones who are all very depended in need of me constantly! All this to say that everywhere we go it's very crowded and challenging when my heart loves open spaces!

So walmart is one of those crazy, busy, hectic, chaotic, and overwhelming places without little ones let alone with them. The closest one is about 20 mins from me and I only visit once in a great while so I stack up my list and go! Walmart is literally a Zoo! Not only is it crowded but people act crazy (explanation coming)! I avoid it like a plague! I only visit it maybe once every 6 months or so now because of these types of experiences... I will pay the few pennies extra for Target at this point! Honestly if Walmart didn't have so many little items that I could only find there I wouldn't go again! Really! I wouldn't and I like me a bargain, but at what cost! My sanity or my witness for my Lord! NOT WORTH IT!

But today... Oh today.... was the walmart challenge day! As I was pushing my double stroller with one hand, and pulling the shopping cart and asking Tre (who just turned 4) to help with the shopping cart with the other hand I was making my way around the store with many stops for items, as well as toys thrown out of the stroller, little voices noticing fun things all around, little voices asking for water (which I did not have), and the discipline of them all it was a bit stressful, but I was doing fine at this point! It was not until I was coming out of an isle with both shopping cart and stroller and a man in a wheel chair was coming the opposite direction... there was a lady behind me who started huffing and puffing (loudly) because it was taking a little more time for me, and the man in the wheel chair to clear the isle. I turned said... "expuse me" (nicly as in sorry I am in your way)...She continued her rant with, "Some of us are on lunch break." This is when my flesh began to rise a little. I said, "Okay, we are trying to get out of yoru way... you don't have to be rude." She then huffed and puffed some more and as she was passing me turned gave me a really mean and spiteful look and said, "GET a baby sitter!" Seriously I wanted to cry and hit her all at once! My emotions were raging!

Did she seriously just tell a hormonal nursing mommy of three tiny little ones to get a baby sitter! Seriously! I wanted to shout out.... " ARE YOU SERIOUS" "I enjoy these little blessings and as hectic and stressful as this is for me I wouldn't change it for the world" Instead all I said is..."I don't work...and you could be a little more considerate." That was the end of it and she sped around the corner.

nothing else would come out and yet I wanted to hurl a hole heap of word vomit at her, but I am so thankful the LORD held my tongue! Truly it was HIM cause I would not have! But I am thankful for the way He opened my eyes to two things....

ONE this was a moment to stamp on my children's memory a way to handle conflict! I pray that as they grow when they see me in intense situations that the stamp I impress upon them is one being under the control of our Lord and savior! Doing and acting as He calls even when it's VERY difficult!

TWO it is so important to place yourself in someone else shoes and truly have a heart and eyes of the Lord to see where people are at!

I did not want to pray for this lady who spoke such harsh words to me. But as I started to pray the Lord showed me I needed to pray blessings upon her. OH.... that is tough! But again an opportunity to teach the children a real life call from God's word "praying for those who persecute us" and train them to obey their LORD even when it's hard!

Although my experience was crazy and overwhelming my prayer is that this Walmart Stamp will impact my children as it has me! Thank you Sweet Jesus for the lessons you teach us in the midst of a crazy and challenging moment! If this ever happens again I pray my response is something like, "Jesus loves you!" My goal is to grow and leave better and better stamps on the mind of my children for my LORD!

If you made it this far... thanks for reading and stopping by!

~Blessings to you all~

~Jewels~

Parenting

What's up this Wednesday?.... Well I have another great series to share with you from our church. This time it's on parenting and it's been a great blessing to us!

Parenting is something that we pray about often! It is one of those things we are constantly crying out for wisdom from the Lord for, and taking in any biblical or wise advice we can! This series below is full of biblical wisdom on parenting... Hope you enjoy!

here is the link http://www.venturechristian.org/sermons.php scroll down to were is says recent series and then look for House or Home: Parenting part 1, 2, 3, &4