Prayers for Stellan

Hey everyone - I hope your Friday is a great one! I'm sure you've all notices my button to the side that says "Praying for Stellan" well, I'm calling on you blog land to help me pray very hard for this little boy. He is needing it right now!

Stellan suffers from a heart condition called SVT - it's where is heart beats very, very fast and if it does not get back to a normal rhythm it can cause a lot of problems. Well, he went into a SVT episode a couple days ago and went down hill very fast. They took him to the hospital, he went into the PICU, and was even put on a ventilator to help him out. He's doing a little better today but they need some prayers right now. Not only for Stellan but for his mom, dad, 2 older brothers, and older sister, for his doctors, nurses and everyone who cares for him - for everyone this little boys life has touched! So, please offer up a minute of your time to pray for this little boy.

For updates on how he is doing you can go to his MckMama's page and read her blog or if you have twitter you can follow her there as well.





Thanks,
KJ

Fingerprint Friday

There is a song by Steven Curtis Chapman that says:
I can see the fingerprints of god
When I look at you
I can see the fingerprints of god
And I know its true
You're a masterpiece
That all creation quietly applauds
And you're covered with the fingerprints of god
So look around you and see where YOU can see God's fingerprints. Is it in nature? Kids? Animals? Where do you see them? Here's how to join in.

I've been in funk lately - dreading getting up in the mornings, just wanting to sleep in, just really wanting to do nothing at all. I'm pretty sure it's because of all the changes that are going on. They are not BAD changes but good ones, they are just big changes and I'm pretty sure this is how my brain is dealing with them.

I've been stressed out - not only because of these changes but due to a lot of things that are personal, things that I just don't want to blog about. I know I started this blog to vent, write about things that I wanted and not feel like anyone is judging me but this is something that I'm not ready to talk about - so it will wait until I am.

I know that changes happen, I just wish that I could control them a little better. That I could see what that light at the end of the tunnel is going to bring me. I guess I fear the unknowing more then the changes.

Today, my Fingerprint Friday is a reminder to myself that I am NOT in control - I never have been and I never will be. That GOD is in control and when I give myself to him and when HE is ready - these changes will all come together. So, in HIS hands I will be, holding on while he shows me the way.


*Picture from the internet*

Happy Fingerprint Friday!

Love,
KJ

Give Away Day!

Today must be giveaway day in blog land because 3 blogs that I read are doing so! SO, instead of blogging about each one separately I'm going to put them all in one entry. If you want to have a chance to win go check out their pages and YOU blog about them also!! So, here goes nothing!




1. Beki @ PamperingBeki is giving away one of her AMAZING necklaces that she makes and of all of them it's a BELIEVE on! I love that one, I think - because it changes every time I had to her Etsy page, more then any other one! She is amazing at blogging AND making awesome things - so check out her blog and Etsy site!

2. Nicole @ Chatty Nicole is hosting her very FIRST give away today! She is an awesome blogger and has give me an award that I will get to tomorrow - thanks Nicole! She is giving away some great things that I know I NEED!!! Go check her out and enter to win!



3. Jennifer @ The Foster Family is giving away a $25 gift card to TARGET!! I love target and with money being so tight these days this would help out in a million ways! She has a great blog talking about her WAY to cute twin girls! Go and see what she has to offer!

Happy giveaway day!!
Love,
KJ

Chrstmas Ornament Swap

Over at This Southern Girl's Nest blog she is hosting a Christmas Ornament Swap. It sounds like such a great idea! You give her your email, she sends you a little questionnaire - you send it back of course, and then she pairs you with a stranger! There are some rules but NOT bad ones or HARD ones at all and it looks like soooo much fun! I wish I had an extra $10 to spare or I would so take part in it! BUT I don't - but that doesn't mean you shouldn't go over and sign up!! Today is the LAST day you can sign up so hurry and do it and then tell me ALLLLL about it when you're done with everything!! I hope you all enjoy!!

Wish List Wednesday!

This week Jennifer at The Foster Family is once again hosting Wish List Wednesday! I love doing this - things that I wish I had weather real or just for fun and this week it's fun! So, head to her blog - grab the button - and wish away!

Do you have a list? You know, that list? The top 5 people in Hollywood that you might up and leave your job, kids and husband for if your fates somehow crossed paths. Of course, it is all in good fun - so here is mine

JFK - to me this mad had so much potential to change the world and he was taken WAY to early from us. There is just something about him that I think is breath taking,


Mike Watherly - Ever since I started watching NCIS I've loved him. ;)


Gerald Butler - From 300 to P.S. I Love You he has had my heart. Yum!


Bing Crosby - There is something about this time. I'm not sure if it's the pictures or the movies or what but I think he is very elegant and refine - there's just something about him that I can't explain!



Happy Wednesday!

Love,
KJ

I got another one :)

Because Sarah rocks - she gave me another award and I would very much like to thank her for that. You rock Sarah!



I found Sarah's blog the same way I find a lot of my blog - I read someones blog, look into their blog list, and click away. Every once in awhile I find a blog that I can't get enough of and Sarah's was one of them for sure! She's an awesome mom, an Army wife, and a great person all around! I've learned a lot from her blog and I think that EVERYONE should go and check her out!! Her blog really caught my eye for a very, very specific reason but that is for a different blog entry (which, by the way I hope to post soon - I just have the get the courage to do it). So, Sarah, thank you for having your blog, keeping it real, and nominating me for this award - you rock! :)

So- here is what I have to do next (and you also of course) -

I nominate:

1. Clare @ The Snyder Family

2. Tina @ Welcome to Jonas' World

3. Nicole @ Chatty Nicoley


and make sure you thank the person who nominated you for the award - it's just nice :)

Happy Tuesday!

Love,
KJ

Fingerprint Friday

There is a song by Steven Curtis Chapman that says:
I can see the fingerprints of god
When I look at you
I can see the fingerprints of god
And I know its true
You're a masterpiece
That all creation quietly applauds
And you're covered with the fingerprints of god
So look around you and see where YOU can see God's fingerprints. Is it in nature? Kids? Animals? Where do you see them? Here's how to join in.
------------------------------------


So, I'm very, very bad at holding a grudge. I think that I could hold them forever, it's that I like too but for some reason when someone hurts me I find it very hard to just "let it go", so I don't and it ends up ruining a lot of things for both me and the others involved. With that being said I have a great friend, her name is Laida, we were not friends for many, many reasons - some that we controlled, some were the work of other people but we didn't see that until it was to late - our friendship had been damaged due to other people.

I held a grudge against her for a very, very long time. I was hurt and I didn't know what else to do. I think that God had other plans for us though. We have gotten into fights, held grudges, and not talked for a long, long time. BUT then she is always the good person, she will say Hi and we will start talking - I let the grudge go. I think that God has a reason we are friends and I am very happy that we have both let our hurt go and we have moved on.

1 year and 2 days ago she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl named Allison. Allison turned 1 two days ago (duh ;)) and I'm so thankful that God has put me and Laida back in each others lives. That I can be friend with her and her husband, watch their beautiful daughter grow up to be the women she is meant to be.

Laida - I really am truly happy that we are in each others lives again and I'm so very thankful that you are letting me watch your daughter grow up and also be part of her life! Thank you!

So - for Fingerprint Friday - here is Allie's first birthday photo! :)





Happy Friday!

Love,
KJ

Why

I'm sure that all of you have been brought up to speed about the 120 pound - 5'10" model Filippa Hamilton being fried for being too "fat". If you look at this girl, she is beautiful - tall, leggy, "skinny" (not a fan of the word) - but for some reason Ralph Lauren doesn't agree with my opinion. Then even went as far to photo shop an ad of her in Japan - making her HEAD bigger then her hips, something that is not natural, no matter how skinny you are, it's wrong and I'm finding out that I"m not the only one who things along these lines.



I'm sure you have also heard of the "plus sized" model, Lizzi Miller who posed naked, with no photo shop. Again, this women is NOT fat by any means - she is beautiful, - tall, leggy, and very much a "normal" person. I do not think that this should have even made NATIONAL news because she "bigger" then the "average" model.


I just don't understand what is going on - we want the children of today, girls and boys, to grow up with a positive self image. We don't want them to think that because they are bigger then their friends that makes them less beautiful or even fat for that matter. We want the kids of today to be happy with who they are but to be health at the same time.

I can tell you as a small child I was on the little side but about 3rd grade I started gaining weight, I started to be on the "bigger" side of the class - it hurt my confidence, my pride, it made me very self conscience about who I was. It didn't help that my family would say things - as in I was getting bigger, that I shouldn't eat so much, that I needed to loose weight. I was still a child, this isn't something you can necessarily tell a child - it's something you have to proactively change without them necessarily noticing what you're doing. As a child I'm pretty sure that if my diet had more veggies and fruits and less pizza, spaghetti, and fast food it would have been different. BUT because of my family telling me this for so many years I still, to this day, have a HUGE complex about what I look like compared to my friends. I hate looking a them, seeing how "skinny" they are and then looking at myself and seeing that I am not. I have become more proactive about myself - I lost over 50 pounds but I know I still have more to go BUT when you are low on funds it's hard to shop healthy or join the gym or join a weight loss group (what I did to loose the 50 pounds). I hate that I have such low confidence in myself at times BUT it's hard because it was pounded into my head at such a young age that you are not beautiful unless you are skinny. It's hard to pick up the phone to talk to my dad and one of the first things he asks is if I've lost any more weight, if I've gained any back, if I'm still working out. That's not what I want to hear when I live SOOOO far away from him, but at the same time that was how he was raised and I know he's not doing it to be mean but it's still hard to listen to ALL.THE.TIME! BUT for now I'm happy with me, I'm going to continue to walk, to eat right, and enjoy life. I know that I am happy and I will continue to be that way but I'm going to work to stay happy!


*This was close to my "bigger" weight


* This is me now - happy, "smaller"

Anyway, if you have children I ask of you to HELP them in a positive way to look past what society has put out there for us. To show them that no matter what size, color, figure, etc.. you are you are beautiful. IF you feel that you need to step in and change something about your child then do it without words - do it with examples. Change how the FAMILY eats, talk walks or bike rides together, get them involved in sports. IF you say something to them at a small age it can hurt them and it can cause major problem just not right then but for the rest of their lives. Help them see that society has put a "weight limit" on the people we see on TV and this is not normal. I just hope that people out their realize we are hurting ourselves by doing this. Maybe one day "normal" people will be back in the ads and on TV and not people that society feels should be "normal".

I'm sorry about this rant and rave but it's really been bothering me since it's been in the media a lot more. If you want - share with me how you were raised - did you have any issues with weight, did your family ever flat out tell you if you were "fat" or to "skinny". How did you cope with this?

Thanks to everyone for listening and I hope you all have a great Thursday! Come back for Fingerprint Friday!

Love,
KJ

Fingerprint Friday

There is a song by Steven Curtis Chapman that says:
I can see the fingerprints of god
When I look at you
I can see the fingerprints of god
And I know its true
You're a masterpiece
That all creation quietly applauds
And you're covered with the fingerprints of god
So look around you and see where YOU can see God's fingerprints. Is it in nature? Kids? Animals? Where do you see them? Here's how to join in.
------------------------------------

You know those days that you get up, look outside and just want to go back to bed? BUT you can't because you have to walk the dog and still go to work? Today was one of those days - we have some more fall like weather going on today - rain, temperatures in the 60's, cloudy overcast sky.


*Photo from Jacki

I love that God give us these days - even though we might not always appreciate them when they happen. I can tell you that I did not appreciate being rained on that I had to go back and change my cloths after walking my dog this morning. BUT then I remember - we PRAYED, we BEGGED for rain this summer - we PRAYED, we BEGGED for cooler temperatures, a little relief from the rain. So, this reminds me that even though we do not get what we ask for, right then and there God is listening. His ears are always open but what we WANT isn't always in HIS plan.


*Photo from Lou
So, today when I go home from work and walk my dog in the rain (if it's still raining - if not then next time it is) I will THANK God that I'm getting soaked, that he is giving us life, that he is giving us relief.


*Photo from some person on the Internet

I hope you all have a great Fingerprint Friday!

Love,
KJ

Christmas...

I know that it's not even Halloween yet but I think about Christmas as soon as the New Year starts - trying to figure out what I'm going to get people next year, what will make an impact - I do this because there are about a MILLION people that I shop for every year and I swear that the list is only getting longer and longer!!



I know what I'm going to get a couple people - some are going to get something cute off of PamperingBeki's Etsy site. My dad is going to get something awesome IF I can get my brothers to pay attention to me long enough to do what I want them to do (we will see - if not, I'm going to have to come up with something different - great)!

So, as I was sitting here thinking the other day of what I could get people this year, things that will top last year (that's going to be hard) my friend messaged me, told me that she bought some things off of this site, and some of the money spent went to help a great cause! Then it dawned on me - I'm going to get people gifts that have more then one meaning the first being that it's awesome, the second that it's from me ;) and the third being that some of my money spent is going to help someone or an organization out.



I know there are a million organizations that need help, so they sell many, many things. From shirts, to jewelry, to ANYTHING!! The problem is I have problems finding these kinds of sites - because of my friend I have put the Breast Cancer Site on my list to buy from, but what are other sites that are like that. It doesn't have to be for Cancer - it can help out Africa or another 3rd world country, it could be something that helps out under privileged kids here in our own country - I just need your help to find these sites? So, my question to you - do you know of any awesome sites, that I can get some great Christmas gifts off of (for anyone Moms, Dads, kids, boys, girls, etc...) and where some, if not all, the proceeds go to help them out?!!??



I try to be a good person and I might not always have it together, I might struggle with money from time to time but I know that I'm lucky to have a family by my side, that I have a job. And isn't this what Christmas is all about - Celebrating the life of our Saviour but also helping others out who are not as lucky as we are?

Thanks for listening to me today and if you know of any sites - please, please, please pass them along - anything and everything would be great!

Love,
KJ

P.S. - I've come to realize that the link for the BC shop has other sites as well to support but I'm still looking for ideas and other sites to shop on. Thanks!

Blog Award - My First!!

I got this cute little award from Sarah at An Army Wife's Life, I don't know Sarah but her blog is awesome and you should read it. I love reading all things military (due to my family) but I also like to read and learn how the other side - the wives, kids, family - are doing! So, thank you very much for the award Sarah!

1. Where is your cell phone... Next to me on the desk

2. Your hair... Being held back with my sunglasses

3. Your mother... (step-mom) I'm guessing she is at work

4. Your father... Dad is either at work or helping Uncle Joe with harvest

5. Your favorite food... Pizza!

6. Your dream from last night... I'm not sure from last night - that's a good thing, because the dreams I remember are usually the bad ones

7. Your favorite drink... Water with a mix-in!

8. Your dream/goal... To someday be a great wife and mom - that or succeed at an awesome job

9. What room are you in... The front room of work aka my "office"

10. What is your hobby... Babysitting, reading, blogging - even if I slack

11. What is your fear... Thunderstorms, spiders

12. Where do you want to be in 6 years... So many options, that I can't pick or say just one right now :)

13. Where were you last night... Babysitting, then talking to Jess, then off to the bf's house

14. Something you are not... A liar

15. Muffins?... I LOVE the fiber one apple muffins

16. Wish List items... Nintendo Wii <-- I agree with Sarah

17. Where did you grow up... Kansas

18. Last thing you did... I'm sad to say that I turned on "The Hills" online to listen to - but I'm not sad to say that this season isn't that great!

19. What are you wearing... T-Shirt and jeans

20. Your TV.... When I'm home it's sooo many different things - Ghost Hunters, Grey's, Hoarders, etc...

21. Your pets... Bailey (dog) and Tux (cat)

22. Your friends... Are all over the place but that just gives me more places to go on vacation!

23. Your life... Is interesting right now - I'm sitting aside, looking at the paths in front of me

24. Your mood... Today I'm doing well

25. Missing someone... My dad, Clare, Fiona, Mom and Dad Lonergan, etc..

26. Vehicle... Altima

27. Something your not wearing... Make-up

28. Your favorite store... Right now it's all the wonderful Etsy stores

29. Your favorite color... Pink!

30. When's the last time you laughed... Talking to Randy at work

31. When's the last time you cried... I teared up last night

32. Your best friend... I have sooo many, if I leave you off - I'm sorry! Clare, Lou, Jen, Alan...

33. One place you go over and over... On a nice day - the park

34. One person who emails me regularly... Clare

35. Favorite place to eat?... Panera


Okay - Now I'm supposed to nominate 6 people to do this along with me and give them the awesome award. I know that I have 12 followers but some don't have blogs, so I'm just going to do the ones I can - minus Sarah of course! :)

The Lucky Ones Are -

Clare

Jenny

Jennifer

Tina

Nicole

Have fun!!

Love,
KJ

Fingerprint Friday

There is a song by Steven Curtis Chapman that says:
I can see the fingerprints of god
When I look at you
I can see the fingerprints of god
And I know its true
You're a masterpiece
That all creation quietly applauds
And you're covered with the fingerprints of god
So look around you and see where YOU can see God's fingerprints. Is it in nature? Kids? Animals? Where do you see them? Here's how to join in.
------------------------------------

The seasons are changing! It's sooo nice down here in Texas, we got our first "taste" of fall on the FIRST DAY! It was a shock for everyone - rain, the temperature in the 60's - it was amazing!! BUT of course this is Texas and that was just a nice tease by the next week we were back up in the 90's - the windows were closed and the AC's were turned back on.



Today though - I'm sitting here at work, wearing a fleece jacket with the windows open and it's already 10:30 am!! I know by noon this will change and the jacket will be off, the AC back on and the windows closed BUT I'm going to take every day of coolness that we get, even if it's only for a few hours in the morning!



So, now that it's actually October and officially fall there have been TONS of things on my mind. Like the fun fall things that we get to do - hikes on the weekends, fall festivals at Church, picking pumpkins, making yummy cold weather only foods (I'm weird and will only eat soup, stew, chili, etc... when it's cold out). ALSO - my new favorite thing to do - go to the CORN MAIZE!!! I went with friends last year and it was SOOOO much fun!




Have you ever heard of the Corn Maize? They have them ALL over the US and the world!! They took a corn friend and make a maze in it, it's pretty cool - last year we got turned around once or twice but it was still a blast! It's sooo family friendly - they have animals, a "corn cannon", an "popper" for the kids, tractor rides - very much on a farm but still SOOOO much fun! The BF doesn't know, but we are doing that this fall - I might even go more then once, with him and the girls from last year!!




I'm sure you're wondering how I'm going to link this up with how I see God in all of this, I was kind of wondering this myself. BUT just the fact that it makes me SO happy, that it can make every person there has a blast! That he changed the weather, makes it cooler - give us new colors, new life along with it. It is amazing to me. God is amazing - and I'm so thankful he's in my life, showing me these things no matter how big or small they might be!


Happy Fingerprint Friday!

Love,
KJ