Day 6 of the 35 till 35 Photo Challenge and a link to marriage video

Today is day 6 already of the 35 till 35 Photo Challenge and todays photo is suppose to be of technology so I took a pic of our computer desk, it was a great excuse to clean the desk up! I see my cell phone was still there...oh well it fits in with technology.

Tomorrow 's photo is faceless photo, cant wait to see how creative everyone gets!

I am also sharing a link with you to a great video by Jefferson Bethke on marriage. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4OK9DmLpCY&list=UUc4yillQaNo6a-iG2PYbbrA&index=1&feature=plcp Carl and I started watching a sermon series by Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church called Real Marriage and I will be sharing our experience with this tomorrow!

Blessings,
Heather

Day 5 of 35 till 35

Hi everyone, we are at day 5 already, that means I turn 35 in 30 days! Todays photo is suppose to be of something new. So I took a picture of my new rug. If you know me you know I am a huge fan of primitive decor. Last week I finally found a rug for my kitchen and I love it so here is a photo of it!

Cant wait to see what you all have thats new!!! See you tomorrow  with a photo of technology!

Blessings,
Heather

Day 4 of the 35 till 35 Photo Challenge

Today was a hard one to decide on,  a photo of something you love, I have so many things this could be but I finally decided on this.......

My bouquet from my wedding. They are artificial. I saw them in a craft shoppe after Carl and I got engaged and loved the colors. So I bought them to use as a reference for the colors I wanted in our wedding, it looked so summery and our wedding was July 7. When it came time to pick out flowers I thought why dont I just use them, so almost 5 years later here they are, they have a special place near or wedding picture in our livingroom so we can see them everyday!

This picture came in a close second but the sentimentalness of the flowers won out!!

I love my wine rack Carl got me last year for Christmas and of course I love a good bottle of wine!

Hope everyone is having a blessed weekend
Blessings,
Heather

The Baking Addict

I know I havent posted any recipes here in a long time...thats cause I started a new recipe blog. Its called The Baking Addict. If you are interested in checking it out here is the link  http://thebakingaddict.wordpress.com  I have posts on there ranging from coconut cream pie, popcorn seasonings to ovenbaked hotdogs. I hope you take a moment to check it out. You can also follow each of my blog pages on facebook, they are under the same names as each blog http://www.facebook.com/pages/Living-a-Life-with-Joy-and-Gratitude and http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Baking-Addict.

If any of you have blogs or facebook pages you want to share, you are more than welcome to add them to the comments section.

Blessings
Heather

35 till 35 Day 3

My favorite color is blue, our whole bedroom is pretty much blue. Its sorta a beach theme, maybe once we move into a new house I will post of pic of it. For now here is a photo of a blue throw we have!

Cant wait to share tomorrows photo...something I love, how will I narrow it down to just one???

Blessings,
Heather

35 till 35 Day 2

I cant believe I am actually sharing a pic of me in my pjs, but todays photo challenge was to post a pic of what we wore today and I stayed in my pjs all day.....we had a snow storm here and the heat in our living room wasnt working so it wasnt very warm in here so I decided to stay in my pjs. What the photo doesnt show are my awesome slippers. They are pink and have cupcakes and they light up when I walk, a cute Christmas present from my husband(thanks honey!) So I decided to take a separate picture of them,they are too cute not to be included. 

Arent they cute?? I want to take a second to thanks to all my friends who are participating in this challenge with me, it means alot! Cant wait to see everyone's favorite color tomorrow, be as creative as you want with your pictures(as long as they are decent!!)


Blessings,
Heather

Good Luck vs God Luck

A few weeks back I was talking to a friend on msn and I went to type "Good Luck " to them and as I usually do I typed it incorrectly and instead typed "God Luck", I quickly retyped it and sent her the message. But it got me to thinking, had I made a mistake or was my typo actually what I meant?? Good luck implies good fortune by chance, but as a believer in God do I really believe in chance? I have been taught that God has a purpose for all of us, he never gives us what we cant handle and just because we pray for something, doesnt mean it will happen the way we want, God may have other plans. Most of the time when we wish someone "Good Luck" we are usually hoping for a good outcome, like a job interview, trying out for a part in a play, hoping they win the big game or even learning about a loved ones illness. But all of those things involve God's purpose for our lives and sometimes God's purpose isnt always a good outcome for us. Wishing someone "God Luck" means no matter the outcome, God is always with us, working according to his purpose for our lives. No matter what happens, good or bad we need to be content with whatever the outcome because even if we do our best or even be the best  God will determine what happens. No matter what happens we need to understand it was God's plan and purpose for our lives.

 I realize its never "Good Luck" in our lives....its "God's Luck" , whatever the circumstances its all because He loves us and knows whats best for us, in those moments of great sorrow and loss its hard to see that but its true....its all because of God's purpose in our life. Put your faith in God, seek Him and His counsel, trust that He knows best and let it all happen according to His purpose in your life and the next time you go to wish someone "Good Luck" maybe you can wish them "God Luck" instead.

Blessing,
Heather

35 till 35

In 35 days I will be turning 35. I was trying to think of some fun way I could countdown the days and share them with you. We recently bought a new digital camera so I thought it would be fun to do a 35 day photo challenge. So listed below are 35 days of photo ideas. Each day I will take a picture that corresponds with the idea and post it, I hope you will accept the challenge and join me, it will be a great way to get to know each other and have fun taking photos at the same time. You can be as creative as you want with each idea. Cant wait to see all your pics!

Here is the List and below is my pic for day 1!
Day 1~self portrait
Day 2~what I wore
Day 3~favorite color
Day 4~something I love
Day 5~something new
Day 6~technology
Day 7~faceless portrait
Day 8~something I made
Day 9~close up
Day 10~from far away
Day 11~something fun
Day 12~my shoes
Day 13~what i ate
Day 14~what i read
Day 15~where I sleep
Day 16~pretty pattern
Day 17~trees
Day 18~sunset or sunrise
Day 19~smile
Day 20~something old
Day 21~after dark
Day 22~daily routine
Day 23~favorite food
Day 24~hands
Day 25~best friend
Day 26~pets
Day 27~your hand writing
Day 28~breakfast
Day 29~someone you love
Day 30~view from your window
Day 31~your front door
Day 32~ in your fridge
Day 33~from up high
Day 34~transportation
Day 35~ self portrait 35 days later

Blessings,
Heather

Inspiration Babble!

Have you ever suffered from a lack of inspiration?? I am having the opposite problem lately. I have so many ideas floating around in my head about what I want to blog about that I can not focus on just one. Every night when I lay down in the last couple weeks I have a hard time falling asleep cause I am writing blog posts as I lay there, they are great posts.... I really should get up and write them down!!! I have been doing alot of research on marriage topics and I have alot of thoughts that I will be hopefully sharing with you in the near future. I have also joined Pinterest lately and I am really inspired by some of the great ideas I have found on there( if you havent been on Pinterest...its very addicting). I have some great recipes and a few projects we have been up to around the house to share with you soon too!

 As much as all this inspiration has been frustrating in that I cant decide where to start its also wonderful to be filled with so many ideas and thoughts. This blog is all about living your life with joy and gratitude and be thankful for everything you have. Its nice to start a new year with a renewed sense of  those things. It really is a choice to live your life full of joy and gratitude, it makes everyday more special and fulfilling.So I am greatful for all this inspiration, it makes me feel alive and productive. Now I just need to hunker down and focus this inspiration into something tangible, something that I can share with all of you. If you have any ideas of on how I can get myself more focused I would love to hear from you!!!

Blessings,
Heather

The company is coming clean-up!

I love parties, and I love having guests over. We seem to entertain often...nothing fancy, just dinner or brunch with friends and family on the weekend.It’s a lot more fun to entertain when your house is clean.If you declutter and keep your house clean on a daily basis, your house is already clean and almost ready for a party or just a friend dropping in. There is bound to be incidental clutter here and there, but the house will not be in chaos, and you can feel comfortable having guests in your home.. I’m going to share what you can do right before company arrives, to make your home really ready to receive guests.

Hide Stuff.

I know this sounds like cheating but it isnt...... this is practical, and if you are doing a daily cleaning the less you will have to hide. Grab an empty laundry basket or storage bin, and start at the front door. Toss in random things that have congregated there. Continue putting things into the basket or bin as you walk through the front entry and into the house. Keep the basket/bin out while you quickly tidy up the front room. Fold throw blankets, fluff the couch cushions, clear off the coffee table, and put any scattered toys or strewed items into the basket. Take a walk through your house, putting in items that are out of place.  Put this container into the master bedroom closet, or similar hiding spot that is off-limits to guests. Make sure after guest leave you clean out this basket!

Bathroom.

This is the only place where your guests will be alone. If you are up to speed on your daily cleaning,you’re pretty much ready but if you haven’t been keeping up with this, it’s okay. Run some hot water in the sink, and use a hand towel to wipe up the sink bowl and surrounding surfaces. Put away bath toys. Use the wet handtowel to wipe out the bathtub and the ledges. Close the shower curtain or sliding doors. Re-wet the towel if need-be, and use it to quickly mop up the floor, taking care to get the dust bunnies out from behind the bathroom door. Remember that your guest is in the bathroom with the door shut, and if he/she is, um, sitting, the floor is on display.  If the toilet needs cleaning, do so now. Wipe or Windex off any large and noticeable splotches on the mirror or faucet. Change the towels.

Kitchen.

People end up in the kitchen. You can try to keep them out, but they’ll find a way to get in there anyhow. Put away the random stuff on the countertop (hide paperwork, bills, anything personal you don’t want on display) and wipe it down with a disinfectent wipe or spray. If you have dirty dishes in the sink, load up the dishwasher and turn it on. If you don’t have a dishwasher, handwash the dishes if you have enough time, or hide them. Seriously. It’s okay, I won’t tell. Put them in a box in the garage, or in the oven (remember to take them out before preheating!!!!). Wet a dishtowel and quickly mop up any noticeable crumbs from the flooring.

Make the House Smell Good.

This is the last thing to do before company arrives. Light a smelly candle or Windex something. The smell of Windex smells like clean. Windex will create a powerful punch in the air, and your guests will think you’ve spent HOURS cleaning. This is a trick that realtors do right before showing a house that’s not in the best-of-shape. They Windex the front doorknob or the lightswitch right by the front door, so the second people arrive to tour the home they get a whif of “clean”—that smell triggers something psychologically and visitors feel/believe that even if the home is in disrepair, it’s clean.

You

Save all your primping till the end...all your speed-demon housework is bound to wreck your hair. You want to be polished and ready so better to freshen up after all the cleaning is done. However feel free to move this step up if you are running out of time.

There’s a school of thought that believes  that a good friend will not care what condition your home(or you) is in, the friend is there just  to enjoy your company. This is true. But you will be more comfortable, and will entertain more often if your home is put-together and ready for guests. You won’t have a sinking feeling in your stomach when your friend calls to say they are dropping in or when your husband calls to say he’s invited his co-workers over for dinner. You will enjoy having company in your house.A good friend will appreciate everything you do to make them feel comfortable, and will offer to help clear dishes at the end of a fun night and will make an effort to get the kids to help clean up. And then she’ll invite you to her house.

Blessings,

Heather

I am Human

I am Human                          
I am not Perfect
I am Selfish                            
I make Mistakes
I have Failed
I have Faults

I am Weak
I am Broken
I have Sinned
But I have been Forgiven

Blessings,
Heather

Date Night

Marriage is sooo important and we must take it seriously. Whether we have children or not we must take time for each other. Carl and I dont have have any children(unless you count our 2 fur kids!) so its easier for us to take the time we need to work on our marriage, but we all need to water and nurture our marriages to make them grow and flourish. A great way to do this is to take time for a Date Night. So I have made a list of 25 ideas for dates. Some dont cost a cent, spending money doesnt make a date great, the quality and time spend together is what is really important.

1. Walk to a bakery and buy each other a treat then stop in a park or even a park bench to enjoy them together.
2. Date in a box- pick a random box and spend time decorating it together and and put ideas and items in the box you can use for future dates.
3. Greeting card date- make a list of all birthdays, holidays and special occasions you may need cards for this year, go to the dollarstore together and pick out random cards, dont think about it just have fun picking out funny cards, go home and assign each cards to an occasion, they dont have to match, you will giggle about them later, have fun!
4.Living room camp-out! get out some camping gear like camping chairs and sleeping bags, make some treats, turn off the light and use flashlights!
5. Repeat your first ate as close as you can
6.Go to the dollarstore and each pick out an activity to do, dont let the other person see it till you leave the store and go do that activity, some examples include a kids kite or canvasses and paints!
7. Photo Safari- take a digital camera and either drive or walk around town taking pictures of places that have special meaning to you.
8.Check out a book from the library on paper airplanes and make them and have a flying contest
9. Make a time capsule to give to your future or present children in the future
10. Get take out, dress up and decorate your dinning room and pretend you are in in an expensive restuarant
11.Slumber party- rent a movie get snacks and get in your pjs and cuddle on the floor with blankets and pillows
12. Test drive a car together
13. Go out for desert and coffee
14.Play board games and have prizes
15.Sit outside somewhere and read a book together, taking turns reading out load to each other
16.Take a dance, yoga or painting class together
17.Have a "youtube" date
18.Hit the local video arcade
19. Research your family tree together, or talk to you elders about their lives, record your family history
20. Create your own couples website-include your love story, info about yourself, pictures,etc
21.Go picking fruit or veggies together- whatever is in season
22. Stargazing-drive to an open field, bring a blanket, a snack and a bottle of wine or sparkling cider and cuddle up and watch the stars together
23. Write out 50 questions and ask them while on a dinner date, get to know each other
24. Dream House Hunting- go for a Sunday drive and check out open houses, ones you think you could never afford.
25. Pick a letter date- have your spouse pick a letter and plan all activities, food, dress and conversation around topics that start with that letter!

I hope this list sparks some ideas for a fun date night for you and your spouse. Its important to invest time into your marriage, its the most important relationship you  will ever have, take a little time to enjoy, get to know and spoil the one you choose to spend your life with. Let us know what works for you or if you have any other ideas please share them, cant wait to hear your ideas!!!

Blessings,
Heather

Marriage!

Happy New Year everyone! Sorry I havent been posting like I should have been, the last couple months of the year were crazy busy. But its a new year and I am back! This year I have decided to focus on my marriage. Carl and I dont have kids and that leaves us alot of time to focus on each other and our marriage. Its my goal this year to make it even better! So alot of my focus on this blog this year will be on marriage, I wont forget the other things......I promise but alot will be about what we can do to make our marriages stronger. I would love to hear from you on what you do special for your spouse, what you do to put your marriage first and what tips you can share with us to make our marriages the best they can possibly be. I cant wait to hear from you, I hope each of you has a blessed 2012!