Longest 6 weeks ever.

It's not been a super-fun Fall, I'll be honest.
On October 5th, as we went to bed, I told Nate,
"I think I feel a cold coming on.  Bummer."

Within 48 hours, that little cold had settled down into my chest and made itself right comfortable.  It set up house and unpacked and just put its little feet up.  And lemme tell ya, it stuck around for the long haul.  Like a really bad houseguest, only LOTS more phlegm.

Morphed into a really nasty case of bronchitis, it did.  And fast.

The following Saturday I spent a rockin' night in the ER.  Do you know how embarrassing it is to be in public and hack til you vomit into a styrofoam cup?  You know it's bad when the nurses all do double-takes and stick their heads in on you and ask, "Are you OK???"

Nine hours, 6 breathing treatments, and one chest X-ray later, I went home with an inhaler, some souped-up cough syrup, and a little bit of Prednisone because my breathing was quite tight.

I slept a little better over the weekend and on Monday I said,
"Hey, I think the worst is over!  Hallelujah!"

Do I need to tell you that the worst was definitely NOT over?

Long story short because, well, I do want you to keep coming back here and all...

3 inhalers in 3 weeks.
Sleepless nights hacking on the couch.
Medicines, both pharmaceutical and natural, tinctures, showers/baths, rubs, humidifiers, nebulizers, herbs, probiotics.
Inability to recline in the slightest.
Inability to speak.
Inability to laugh.
You can just forget about singing.

My in-laws came down and swept the girls off for the week.  Big rewards in heaven.  BIG.

Insurance problems and ignored voicemails and "let me redirect you to another person who neither knows nor cares," and FINALLY (Bless God!), a full week later I had an appointment with a REAL LIVE INSURANCE PERSON, HOW 'BOUT THAT.

2 days later, I'm in the doc's office.  She believes the bigger problem is not bronchitis, but a bad flare-up of my asthma, which has lain dormant for more than ten years.  What???  Even then, attacks never came out of the blue.  They were brought on by exercise or some other trigger I could pinpoint.

They are exacerbating one another, apparently.  Bronchitis is aggravating the asthma.  One reaction to asthma attacks is increased mucous.  (I'm so sorry.)  This makes you cough.  Just like bronchitis.  I leave with another inhaler, a stronger and longer course of Prednisone (12 days) to help my poor lungs calm down, and some more souped-up cough syrup.  And hope.

A week later, bronchitis is gone.  Thank you, Jesus.

HOWEVER.
Nearly 6 weeks from the first sniffle?  I am still having a terrible time with my asthma.  I've gone through two more inhalers.  I do sleep in my bed, but the attacks awaken me at least twice every night, with no warning.  Often it takes 7 or 8 inhaler puffs and half an hour or more to breathe normally again, and when I finally do, there's so much coughing that I just give up and get outta bed to do laundry or whatever.  Plus the inhaler makes ya jittery.  AWESOME for 3 a.m.

Still can't laugh without bringing on an attack.
Singing must be done at half-volume.
The really bad attacks still make me throw up, and they leave me grabbing my chest, which burns and aches and throbs.

And poor, poor Nate.  He has never said one solitary word about all of the coughing.  BIG rewards.

If you have asthma, please...would you advise?  What on earth is happening to my lungs???  I'm hoping not to have to take more medication, but I have to get some decent sleep.  I'm SO ready to bid the fall farewell.  Not such a big fan this year.

A Food First

We had a fun time this evening, the girls and I!

We made sushi!

Clarification:  We made California rolls.  With imitation crabmeat, avocado, & cucumber slices.

Olivia would choke down only one measly bite.  But the other two gobbled theirs up!

 It certainly helps when they have a hand in the preparation!

I think we'll be doing this again!

Medicine in Disguise

All three girls have the sniffles.

Not enough to sideline them completely,

(a blessing AND a curse, to be sure!)

just enough to be cranky.

They wrinkle up their noses at the "sour" taste of our Vitamin C drink, similar to Emergen-C,

but when I mixed it up and poured it into their tea party pot???

They downed a packet's worth apiece, and asked for more!

In the Kitchen

I've been spending some extra time in my kitchen of late, making a few extras.  We've been trying to squeeze every last cent out of our lean budget, and since necessity is the mother of invention--er, discovery, I've made several things from scratch.  Or at least, closer to scratch than usual.

Double batch of cream of chicken soup and placed in freezer (total of 4 "cans"). 

Dry onion soup mix, x2 (total of 4 "packets")

A dozen or so cheesy bean & rice burritos for the freezer--a great, inexpensive, healthy convenience food!  Started with 2 bags frozen refried beans and some leftover cilantro-lime rice.  I rolled out a half-batch of tortillas and divvied up the beans & rice, and tossed in some shredded cheese.  Wrapped each burrito in foil and slipped into Ziploc bags.  Voila!  And topped with home-canned salsa, they're infinitely tastier than storebought!

Chocolate Mug Cake ingredients, along with a pretty mug, for the birthday of a chocolate-loving friend who has no oven.  WOW, this was a dangerous discovery indeed.

Powdered Laundry Detergent.  Smells so good.  I just need someone who's willing to run it through a food processor for me!

Baby Wipe Solution.  I didn't do the reusable baby wipes during the summer; the heat & humidity were not condusive to wet cloths sitting around (yuck!).  Now that it's cool, we're back at it.

Resolution Review: September 2010

Happy October! Just checking in to log my progress regarding my New Years Resolutions. In order to keep myself accountable this year, I'm doing monthly reviews, in which I share my successes--or maybe failures--of the past month.
Here's how I did for September:

• Start and/or maintain healthy habits... sorta!  Well, I've fallen off the Weight Loss Bandwagon this month.  I jumped off, actually.  About halfway through September, I declared that I was taking the month off from my stringent self-denial, and I intended to enjoy myself!  We had our Labor Day getaway the first weekend, Livvie's birthday the 2nd weekend, Brienna's the 3rd, and our anniversary last weekend.  I found lots of excuses for cheating on my no-sugar commitment, snacking at nighttime and drinking sugar-laden beverages. 

          I did great exercising for the first 2 weeks, but by mid-September the sun wasn't rising early enough for me to run before Nate left the house.  I ran 10 times in the first half of the month, and only 3 in the second half.  It's feast or famine, apparetly  I'm going to have to get creative once again as the days get shorter and colder.

          I won't lie--all the fun food tasted wonderful... for awhile.  To be honest, though, I'm glad my Healthy Habit Vacation is over.  I've felt a lot like garbage this month: tired, with yucky stomach symptoms, and just feeling "blah" overall.  It's no surprise that I gained a couple pounds this month.  As usual, The Binge was not worth it.

          My goal for October is to drop the pesky pounds I've added this month, to drink LOTS of water, and to exercise three times per week.

• Go one one date per month...check!   We had an anniversary date--dinner and bowling.

• Spend less...check!  

• Host guests once per month... check!  We hosted about 25 people for Brienna's party.

How'd you do with your resolutions in September?

Resolution Review: August 2010

Can you believe autumn is upon us?  This is me, checking in to log my progress regarding my New Years Resolutions. In order to keep myself accountable this year, I'm doing monthly reviews, in which I share my successes--or maybe failures--of the past month.
Here's how I did for August:

• Start and/or maintain healthy habits... check!  I'm glad to report that I exercised faithfully this month--17 of the 31 days this month.  I've enjoyed it.  I've mostly been running, but I did a little speed-walking and biking, too, so I don't get bored.   I didn't do as well drinking water, but I've been trying to remedy that these last few days.  For September, I'll try to get that water intake back up there where it should be.

          My weight loss goal for August was 3 pounds, which I achieved by the skin of my teeth!  I've also (finally!) dipped below my pre-pregnancy weight--as in, pre-Olivia!-- about which I couldn't possibly be more thrilled!  The goal for September:  2 more pounds.

• Go one one date per month...oops!  Our weekends were jam-packed this month, and we plumb forgot! 

• Spend less...check!   Thanks to my parents' generosity and an abundant garden harvest, we kept our grocery bill down quite a bit.

• Host guests once per month... check!  We had good fellowship with some friends we hadn't seen in a really long time.  Next month we'll host a few families for Brienna's first birthday party!

How'd you do with your resolutions in August?

To-Do List of One.

My to-do list for today has but one item on it, and it involves (in part) these:

By day's end, these fragrant beauties will be gone.  In their place will stand 8 jars of Hot & Sweet Salsa! 

I can hardly wait!  (Recipe to follow)

I also aim to can about ten pounds of pears, many of which were given to us by a friend whose yard boasts two pear trees. 

Earlier in the week, I put up 38 cups of green beans.  I feel like I've been livin' in the kitchen, but I don't mind!

How have your gardens been doing this summer?  Are you into food preservation?

Resolution Review: July 2010

Happy (almost) August!  Just checking in to log my progress regarding my New Years Resolutions. In order to keep myself accountable this year, I'm doing monthly reviews, in which I share my successes--or maybe failures--of the past month.
Here's how I did for July:

• Start and/or maintain healthy habits... check!  I did the TaeBo videos several times in June; even though TaoBo is INFINTELY more fun than Pilates, I still longed to get outside and RUN!  Finally, after receiving the green light from my bodyguard (Love you, Nate!), I've been running nearly every day since.  It's just around the block--most of it is a busy main street--but it's better than exercising in front of the TV!  The block is .6 miles, and I'm running it three times most mornings. 

          I lost 6 pounds in July, bringing my total to 31 pounds.  My goal for 2010 was to lose 30 pounds; I can hardly believe I've actually accomplished it--in 7 months!  Losing weight is not easy for me, (If it's easy for you, do me a favor and DON'T tell me!)  and I have to give God the credit for granting self-denial and perseverance.  Although my 30-pound goal has been met, my ultimate goal is 40 pounds--what I weighed on my wedding day.  I have a feeling these final 10 pounds won't come off without a BIG fight, so my weight loss goal for August is 3 pounds. 

• Go one one date per month...check!  We went out last night; a big thanks goes to Justin & Kelly for babysitting.

• Spend less...check, I think!  I threw out a whole wad of receipts, without realizing that they hadn't yet been recorded.  But we've not splurged on anything, so my guess is that July was fairly typical.

• Host guests once per month... check!  We had Nate's brother Ryan and his family over for dinner, along with Kathy (my friend who taught me to sew).

How'd you do with your resolutions in July?

How Does Your Garden Grow?

It's so exciting to watch my little garden grow!  I have only a handful of plants, but perhaps one day, when I have a sunnier yard and I'm not lactating or gestating...I'll grow some of everything.

The Garden

My poor tomato plants went unsupported til just last week.  They've got little bitty marble-sized tomatoes, and I can't stop looking at them!  They're so cute!  In addition to eating the tomatoes this summer, I hope to do a little canning as well. 

Jalapeno peppers.  Mmmm.  I see a lot of pico de gallo in my future.  Also these.  Be still, my spicy-lovin' heart.

Bell Peppers.

Zucchini.  Okay, so I got a little carried away.  Thankfully, it freezes well. 

Parsley.  Hello there, parsley.  You're looking fine.

And my one lone yellow squash plant, the only one that came up.  Sadly, the rest of the row sits in the shade until about 4 p.m. 

A couple weeks ago, after I finished weeding in here, I noticed a small patch of dirt.  It was empty, plant-less.  Kind of lonely-looking.  So I did what every conscientous gardener does.  I dumped a handful of basil seeds in there and covered 'em up.  And looky there... teeny weeny BASIL!

But look at this, friends.

This, oh THIS...  this is going to help me make mounds and mounds of cilantro-lime rice.  (only I will use about 1/2 c., rather than the 3 T. called for)  And lime-cilantro crema to drizzle on my tacos.  And my trusty pico de gallo.

I love you, Cilantro. 

I'm almost afraid to snip off any of your fragrant leaves, in fact.

What are you growing?

Resolution Review: June 2010

Happy Summer!  (Unbelievable.)  With half of the year officially over, it's time to check in and log my progress regarding my New Years Resolutions. In order to keep myself accountable this year, I'm doing monthly reviews, in which I share my successes--or maybe failures--of the past month.
Here's how I did for June:

1. Start and/or maintain healthy habits... check, mostly!  Okay, it's obvious that exercise is going to be the thorn in my side.  I don't suppose gardening and lawnmowing qualify???  Surprisingly, I still lost 6  pounds in June, bringing my total to 25 pounds!  Can I get an AMEN?  My weight loss goal for July:  another 4 pounds.  And consistent exercise.  (I mean it this time.)  I've picked up a couple TaeBo videos, and I'm ready to work!
2. Go one one date per month...check!  We attended a Basic Massage class, which has already been worth the $10 fee!  What a fun and different sort of date!
3. Spend less...double check!  This month we set a couple records, at least for our family, saving 150% on our grocery bill in June. 
4. Host guests once per month... nope.  I'm chalking it up to a super-busy schedule!  Family reunions, eye appointments, church activities, and more!  But hopefully we'll double up in July and make up for it. 

How'd you do with your resolutions in June?

Resolution Review: May 2010

Can you believe it's nearly June?!  I honestly still feel as though we've just come through the Christmas season!  It's time to check in and log my progress regarding my New Years Resolutions. In order to keep myself accountable this year, I'm doing monthly reviews, in which I share my successes--or maybe failures--of the past month.
Here's how I did for May:

1. Start &/or maintain healthy habits... check, mostly!  In May I set out to get back on track--saying no to sugar, eating reasonable portions, drinking lots of water, and exercising 3x weekly.  I've done all of these things successfully, except the exercise.  I need to come up with a plan, and quickly, while the weather is nice!  Our neighborhood is not safe for jogging or walking, and it's not feasible to join a gym.  I have one Pilates video, but it's so boring that I'd rather stick toothpicks in my eyeballs than follow it.  I suppose I need to see about getting some exciting workout videos.  Any suggestions?  Despite the sporadic exercise, I still managed to come within ounces of my weight loss goal of 4 pounds in May.  This brings my total weight loss to 18 pounds.  Wahoo!  I'm so thrilled, and I'm newly resolved to keep it up!  I hope to lose another 4 pounds in June.
2. Go one one date per month...check!  While we were in Chicago, Nate's mom kept the girls so we could go out.  We enjoyed Olive Garden's soup/salad/breadsticks lunch deal.  Loved it!
3. Spend less...check!  I chalk it up to just plain ol' eating less.  Sounds simple, and it is!  Our grocery bill was down 34% in May! 
4. Host guests once per month... check! We hosted our Young Single Adult group, and it was a blast!

How'd you do with your resolutions in May?

Resolution Review: April 2010

April is over, which means 2010 is 1/3 behind us.  Unbelievable!  It's time to check in and log my progress regarding my New Years Resolutions. In order to keep myself accountable this year, I'm doing monthly reviews, in which I share my successes--or maybe failures--of the past month.
Here's how I did for April:

1. Start healthy habits... fail!  In April I was supposed to exercise three times per week.  I didn't expect to do it 100%, but neither did I expect to fail so miserably.  I exercised the first two weeks faithfully, and not at all the second two weeks.  Grr.  I suppose it's only natural that my resolve and enthusiasm are waning at this point.  I've lost only two measly pounds since the initial 11-pound loss in January, and I've become a little lazy.  My healthy habit goal for May is nothing new--in fact, all I want to do in May is to get back on the wagon, keeping up the other healthy habits I've begun. Or not begun, depending on which habits we're talking about.  So--it's back to no sugar, reasonable portions, 64 ounces water daily, exercising 3x weekly.  I've been doing everything at about 50%, but I'm ready to try, try again!  Additionally, right now I'm smack dab in the middle of a liver/gallbladder cleanse; we'll see what that, umm, yields. 
2. Go one one date per month...check!  Nate's brother and his wife watched our kids so we could enjoy dinner.  And thanks to Swagbucks, we paid $10 for the entire night!  (Want to start earning points yourself?  Get 30 free swagbucks, just for signing up!  Let me know if you'd like an e-mail invitation.) 
3. Spend less...check, sort of!  We had a couple church functions which required a few extra bucks here and there (gotta love potlucks!).  We also splurged for Easter and bought an 8-lb. ham.  But the girls and I were out of town for nearly a week this month, so we broke about even in the end.
4. Host guests once per month... check! We hosted our former neighbors and had a great time.

How'd you do with your resolutions in April?

Exactly what I [DON'T!] Need.

I love books.  Love 'em. 
I also love cookbooks. 
And, similarly, I love chocolate, too.

So I just about fell over and went to cocoa heaven when someone anonymously gave me this:

Nate could do nothing but roll his eyes as I groaned and drooled.

I mean, just look at this:

And I don't know what this creamy taste-o-glory is in the middle here, but I want it. 

I'd like to take a bath in it, actually.

The only problem, though, is this little minor insignificant resolution I made awhile back. 
(Which, by the way, I did not hold to last week on my vacation, oh no sir I did not!) 

I suppose I'll have to shelve this cookbook until I can make a little more drastically significant headway in my health goals.

Resolution Review: March 2010

Wow! Did March fly by, or what?! It's time to check in and log my progress regarding my New Years Resolutions. In order to keep myself accountable this year, I'm doing monthly reviews, in which I share my successes--or maybe failures--of the past month.

Here's how I did for March:

1. Start healthy habits... check! In March I made a concerted effort to drastically increase my water intake. I'm elated to tell you that out of the 31 days in March, I drank at least 8 glasses of water for 29 days! (Those 2 days I missed were spent at a family funeral, and the water tasted NASTY! Blech!) This is enormous progress for me; I've never enjoyed drinking water. I wish I could say that I like it now, but I don't. I suppose it'll always be a discipline for me. My healthy habit goal for April: Exercise at least three times per week... and keep up the other healthy habits I've begun.


2. Go one one date per month...check! We almost missed out this month, when out scheduled date was cancelled for the funeral, but our good friend made sure to send us out. And thanks to a generous relative, we didn't pay a dime!
   
3. Spend less...check! Now that the paychecks are coming in consistently, we've been doing more grocery shopping. But I've also been able to do a lot more couponing as well, so we've enjoyed some great deals this month and stayed within our budget.


4. Host guests once per month... check! We had 10 adults and 8 kids over for a killer pizza party!
   

How'd you do with your resolutions in March?

Needy

My apologies for the blogging shortage around here lately; it's been unusually busy in our house. It's not our calendar schedule, but our day-to-day schedule that's had me in fits!

We're having a really trying season with Olivia. We're working with her on backtalk, immediate obedience, and selfishness. It's been incredibly exhausting, but (I think) this particular phase of intense testing is nearing an end.
Brienna is either going through a growth spurt or changing in her sleep needs. Or maybe both. It's a huge stress for me, this breastfeeding challenge. I'm 100% NOT ready to wean or even start solids, so I've been gathering all the information I can and really concentrating on upping my milk supply. I've also been playing around with her daily routine. She can't make it to bedtime on just 2 naps, but 3 naps proves too much sleep! And then there's the nighttime waking & feeding...

Satan loves to attack when we're tired--at least for me! I'm most vulnerable when I'm sleep-deprived and stressed. Would you pray with me? Here are some specific ways I've been praying:

1. That I'll find little pockets of time for rest and/or sleep during the day. If this one can be accomplished, then all of the other things are far more manageable! It seems to be the lynch pin for me--to resist Satan's mind games, to enable my body to produce more milk, and to help with patience for child training. And I certainly don't want to compromise my immune system with all this sleep-deprivation! Getting sick on top of it all... a recipe for disaster!
2. That I'll allow the nonessentials to slide during this short-lived, albeit difficult, season of life. I never thought it'd be such a discipline to spend less time doing household chores! It's important to focus on the things which are most important: my relationship with God, and my relationships with my precious family.
3. That God would give me wisdom regarding Brienna's feeding and sleeping habits. And that he would "give the increase" where breastfeeding is concerned! *grin*
4. That I would fix my mind upon the truths of God's Word. Satan's attacks are constant, and they are fierce! He aims to get my focus off of God and onto myself. It takes work to maintain joy on a daily basis, but it takes much more work to restore joy that's been lost. I've been renewing my mind with these thoughts, and I know God is slowly helping to re-train my thought processes.

All that said, I hope you understand why I may be pretty scarce around here for a bit. Thanks for your understanding and your prayers!

Brain Dump: a mish-mash

Hurriedly, in absolutely no particular order, before my brain overloads and shuts down completely, I give you this Brain Dump.

1. Nate just began his 3rd full week back to work. Hallelujah! The Psalmist never saw God's children beg for bread, and we haven't seen it yet, either.


2. I have reverted to my default haircut once again (no highlights like the photo, although my grays could surely use them!). I missed my long hair for about 20 seconds, but I've enjoyed the easy & quick styling even more.


3. I'm on a water-drinking streak--8 days in a row now! My healthy habit goal for March was to drink more water, and I've done well so far! Water is just about my least favorite beverage, but I know it's an essential for optimum health. I've been tabulating my daily intake on a calendar; the visual motivation is great when I'm tempted to slack off.

***my enormous water jug, which I empty every day***

(***Blech!***)

4. I'm addicted to these little goodies here. I may or may not have eaten an entire dozen the last time I made them.

5. I am stunned to realize that Resurrection Sunday is a mere 3.5 weeks away. I must needs retrieve our Easter supplies/decor, ASAP! It really sneaked up on me this year!

6. Know what else sneaked up on me? My baby's half-birthday.

This Brain Dump has been successfully completed. Thank you for your participation.

Over and out.

Resolution Review: February 2010

It's the end of the month already; can you believe it? That means it's time to check in and log my progress regarding my New Years Resolutions. In order to keep myself accountable this year, I'm doing monthly reviews, in which I share my successes--or maybe failures--of the past month.

Here's how I did for February:

1. Stop eating sugar... not quite. I'm ashamed to say that I cheated a couple of times. Not for anything truly tasty--frosted graham crackers!--but cheating nonetheless. I've actually re-vamped this particular resolution in the last few weeks or so; it would more appropriately read, "Start healthy habits." In January I stopped eating sugar. In February I attempted to limit my portions (rather unsuccessfully!). In March I'll make a concerted effort to drastically increase my water intake. April will be exercise, and so on. That's not to say that I abandon good habits as the new month begins, but that I build and add good habits each month. That said, I'll change the wording of this first resolution, starting next month.


2. Go one one date per month...triple check! We had our scheduled date night over Valentine's weekend, and we also managed a lunch date! And don't forget about Date Night In! That counts, for sure!


3. Spend less...check! I'm thrilled to report that Nate is back to work! Last week was his first full week since Christmas. Boy, was it nice for him to come home with a paycheck on Friday! We certainly won't take those for granted anymore, not after this lean winter! God has been abundantly faithful to us, supplying our needs over and over again. We received a hefty income tax refund (thanks to a[nother] addition to the family!) and were able to pay off a couple of credit cards as well. So not only have we spent less in February, but we've done some debt-slashing! Hallelujah!


4. Host guests once per month... double check!

We had some good friends over whom we hadn't seen in awhile. It's so fun to catch up!

We also hosted a pizza party with Nate's parents and his brother's family. (Fun cupcake photos to come!)

How'd you do with your resolutions in February?

To Whom It May Concern, (i.e., The Baby):

Due to a lack of sleep and a shortage of willing participants, we are no longer able to provide meal services more than once during the night. We are fearful that, over an extended time period, the fatigue caused by these multiple nighttime feedings will disrupt the food supply during daytime hours. In addition, our daytime shift worker is nearing total exhaustion and fears for her sanity and the well-being of those in her care. As such, please take care to fill up adequately between the hours of 6 a.m. and 10 p.m.

Thank you for your attention.

The Management

Incentive

Resolution Review: January 2010

After this first month of 2010, I wonder how well (or how poorly!) people are keeping their New Years Resolutions. In order to keep myself accountable this year, I intend to do a monthly review, in which I share my successes--or maybe failures--of the past month. Enter the...

Here's how I did for January:

1. Stop eating sugar... check! I'm glad to report that this one went extremely well! Our exception situations are very few, which is a good thing! I ate a couple of chocolates from my friend in Vienna. I also enjoyed one piece of dessert when we had company over. Last, I ate a couple of treats which were gifted to us by a church friend. All of those sugary treats fell under the umbrella of our exceptions, and I'm really thankful for the Lord's help in exercising restraint. Nate and I have both been weighing in each Sunday. In the month of January, I lost 11 pounds! An added bonus, to be sure!
2. Go one one date per month...almost check! I guess I can't technically call it a date. We left the kids with a friend and went to dinner with our Young Single Adult group. Although it was really nice to get out without the kids, we mostly enjoyed other people, instead of focusing on one another without distraction. Next month, however, we've got our date night marked on our calendar and have confirmed our babysitter!
3. Spend less...double check! Nate did several days' work doing some remodeling at his brother's house; however, he has been laid off at his construction job. He hasn't worked there all month! Suffice it to say we haven't had a dime to waste! It was a "fun" challenge to scrounge up meals with what we had, but we're certainly praying for God's continued provision and guidance. He has been faithful and will continue to be so. And it'll be exciting to watch Him work!
4. Host guests once per month... check! I didn't mention this one specifically, but we believe that we have a responsibility to demonstrate generosity and foster fellowship with other believers. It was extremely difficult to entertain in our other, far smaller, home. But now we have ample room to do so! We hosted our church's new youth leader/assistant to the pastor and his wife in January. It was a blessed evening with godly friends! We've got next month's guests all lined up--friends whom we haven't seen in a long while. We're excited!

How'd you do with your resolutions? How are you keeping accountable?