cute charts rocking my world!

I may be a bit of a nerd, but you already knew that!
I have stayed up way past bedtime in order to create chore charts for the girls.
We have desired to ramp up our chore sharing and start instilling responsibility--not for money but to share care of the home.

I have been meaning to do this for quite a while.
After discovering such an amazing cleaning chart from Clean Mama today, I have been inspired.

Tonight my mission was to find a cute and functional chore chart and make it work for our girls.
I lucked up!
I found THIS cutie patootie chore chart.

Here is how I made this work for us. It is in pdf format, but I used the snapshot tool and pasted it into a Word document. Then I created text boxes (with no fill and no line) to type my text in each of the spaces. I also created light pink circles, with brown lines, and pasted them over the existing circles to reflect the days they are to do those chores (as the girls are not with us all the time.) I suppose you could just print this page out and write in the desired chores, but I wanted it to look a tad more polished. Oh, and I write really big. :)


We are going to start this chore chart this weekend. I will make sure to let you know how it works and any tweaks that I have to make. I am thinking that I will put these in plastic page protectors and use a dry erase marker for each girl to mark when chores are completed (so pages can be used over and over).

I hope they are as excited about these as I am! (wink, wink!!)
Maybe, just maybe, if I can create a cute chart for my workouts it will be even more motivation for me! :)

Clean Sweep

Today I am pretty excited about something I don't normally get excited about--just being honest!
Cleaning!

I have been saying for a long time that I need to get on a cleaning schedule and do some a little each day so it doesn't take up so much time on the weekend. Yet, I have failed to do that.
Until now.

Thanks to Pinterest, I was able to find a great new website with GREAT helps for those of us that have the desire to get clean and organized but lack the ability to think through all the details.

Clean Mama is to the rescue! Check this site out for an amazing daily cleaning schedule, helpful hints, and even an easy to follow deep cleaning schedule.

Ladies, and gents, we can do this!
Here is a great help to jump start this New Year with a clean house and a happy mama! :)

I also found some great cleaning tips on Pinterest and wanted to share them here. They have all been tried and true in the DeWeil home and love love love them! :) (you can thank me later...and, as always, share your tricks of the trade with me too!)

• How to Clean a Shower Head
• Eliminate Static with Aluminum Foil in the Dryer
• Easily Clean Your Plastic Shower Curtain Liner

just have to share

I know...it's crazy.
3 posts in 1 day!
This will be short and sweet.

I recently changed my desktop background on my computer and find reasons to shut my programs, at work & home, so I can look at it. I had to share it with you!
I love these 3 so very very much! Makes my heart smile for sure!

Gentleness...how ya doing?

I read a blog post today from my sister-in-law, Kelly, and would invite you to check it out HERE.
It was just what I needed to read, hear, and be challenged to do something about...this issue of Gentleness.

Lately, to be honest, I have not been very gentle with my words, attitude, actions, and thoughts.
I tend to be known in our house as the one who lacks a lot of mercy. While that may not be a bad thing all the time, I don't want to be known as the mean one!

So here's the deal.
Go HERE and check out what is going on.

www.womenlivingwell.org

Join this challenge with us.
I am so excited to embark on this journey of truly releasing all that I hold on to and allowing God to move an do some pretty amazing things in my surrender. I hope you will try this too!

Love you guys!

Joy in the Morning

Hey friends!

I wanted to share a quick update with you and say a huge THANKS!
I had posted some honest confessions on Saturday and asked for your prayers.
You guys have been praying and I have felt your prayers!

Yesterday was a GREAT day!
The Lord really put such joy in my heart and I had a sense of renewal in my spirit.
You see, I have no "reason" to be depressed.
I truly have the most amazing husband, best girls, amazing family, awesome friends, incredible job, my health returned, and, most importantly, a Savior who loves me like no other.
I think that is why this "funk" caught me so off guard.

I know that this is a season we are going through as I try to get the Endo eliminated and have to have my hormones altered. I do know that this will not be "the norm", and that brings me comfort.

Yesterday's service was so amazing! If you have time, check it out HERE--it will be loaded and ready to go on Tuesday, Jan 4. The part of the service that resonated so much with me was something our worship leader talked about.

"I AM"
Have you ever thought that was a somewhat odd way that God told Moses to reveal Himself to the people in Exodus 3? In the past I have wondered about this. Yesterday it was explained in such an amazing way.
The people of Israel had been in bondage and slavery for such a long time. Their hope may have vanished. Their belief that freedom was possible probably destroyed. Their belief that there was anyone who loved and believed in them wiped out.
Yet God. Who loved them so much and wanted to make sure that they knew the power and depth of His love, said "I AM".

• I Am your hope
• I Am your release from all that holds you captive
• I Am your Savior
• I Am the restorer of your joy
• I Am the giver of a fresh start
• I Am the deliverer and will never leave you
• I Am the One who sees your tears, knows your fears, and will meet your needs
• I Am HERE!

Being reminded of our amazing "I AM" God was so powerful to me.
Also singing "You are worthy, You are worthy, God," took the focus off of me, myself, my deal, and put it entirely on what it should be on always--Jesus!

This day, I am so thankful for a fresh start. For new mercy and grace. For restoration and healing. For encouragement and support. For friends and family. And, mostly, for a God who is "I AM" and will always be all that I could ever need.

I pray this encourages your heart as it did mine.
Happy start to your new year.
My prayer for us is that we will all daily strive to be closer to Jesus today than we were yesterday and not let the distractions and worries of this world take our eyes off of what is truly most important.

my heart

hey everyone!
today i come to the blog with a different kind of post.
you all know, if you have spent any time here, that i am completely real and honest--sometimes to a fault.
i really can't hide my feelings and so i want to be real with you, my closest friends, family, and even some of you i may never meet.
i need your help.

you see...here's the deal. i am in a state of a funk right now. i don't really know how else to describe it.
i have thought it may be some sort of depression and it seems to be increasing, not decreasing.
i am in a very weird place, hormonally. i am in menopause, medically induced, and do take an "add back therapy", but i don't feel quite right.

i have never experienced any sort of depression so i don't know if that is what is going on.
here's where i need your help.
i could use all the prayers and words of advice you can spare.
i hate this feeling and hate the fact that no matter how much i pray, try to choose joy, try to use kind words, try to be intentional and positive, the yucky comes out.
i want to sleep all the time and have zero energy--even though scott and i have started working out almost daily.
i don't sleep well at night, but then that has never been something that comes easy for me.
there are very few smiles and laughs coming from me lately and i hate it!

yet, as much as i hate it, it is still here.
ugh!
that makes me mad too!
i want to fix things! maybe that is the "man" in me or my lack of affection for being out of control.
at the end of the day i know that God will deliver me out of this season just as He has been faithful through it all.
i just hate this. i hate this for my family. mainly scott. i feel like he gets the short end of the deal and he is the one person who should never get it!

like i said, this is me being completely real.
thank you for joining me in praying that God delivers me through this and that i am patient and obedient through this process/season He has allowed me to be in right now.
i love you guys and am so thankful for each of you--those close and so far away!
know that i am praying for you too! i pray that you feel the love of our Savior just as i do...even in this valley.

here's to hoping that all of you have a very Happy New Year and that 2012 is the best yet!! (that is what i am praying! not sure if your 2011 was rough, but ours was! we are believing great things for this next year!)

Christmas is Here!

We had so much fun celebrating Christmas with the girls! From our adventures with a Gingerbread House on Christmas Eve to playing outside on a cool, Christmas morning...we had a blast! Our focus was on making memories while making sure to turn our hearts to what this season is all about...Jesus! We had a lot of fun reading and discussing the Christmas story together. Our hope is that the girls will always know:

• Jesus is the reason for the season. 
• We give gifts just as the Wise Men gave to Jesus. 
• We bow our heads to pray just as the Wise Men bowed to show Jesus honor and respect. 
• When we see the lights all around, we can remember that Jesus is the Light of the World. 

We are so thankful for the amazing job our Children's Ministry, KidSpring, at our church did in sharing the truth of this season. In hearing truth from all sides, we are sure that the girls will always remember that Santa and Elves are fun and magical, but Jesus is what it is all about.

Here is a recap for all the fun and memories made during this 2011 Christmas!

Decorating egg cartons to look like snowmen. We turned these into ornaments and they look adorable

The girls received emails from Santa! What?! Eagerly watching the email for Sienna!

Loving that Santa knew her name, had pictures of her, and knew she wanted a Scooby Doo game!

Now it is time to view Mycah's email....

Uh-oh! Looks like Mycah is not too happy that she is on the Naughty List! :(

Scott's reaction to the email

Giving the girls some love!

We love you, Mycah! Even if you are on the naughty list!

What Christmas is complete without eggnogg???

Sienna putting the finishing touches on her snowman ornament

Let the Gingerbread House assembly begin

Scott giving instruction

Mycah doing the hard work

While Mycah squeezes the icing, Sienna takes a few pictures. Nevermind the blurry-ness.

I LOVE this picture...even though blurry! Great job Sienna!

Sienna comes back to check in on the progress

While she waits, she decides to ingest as much candy/sweets as possible

Checking the box for more direction

Teamwork

Daddy and Sienna working on the gingerbread man

Mycah is serious about this construction. And doing a fantabulous job, I might add.

Sienna concentrating on her part of the construction

Smile! Wait, real smiles please...

C'mon, we can do this...

Yay! Sweet smiles with a sweet house and sticky fingers!

What better way to celebrate than with a plate and mouth full of cookies?!

Sienna's "Christmas Outfit" she designed herself (aka all of her pj's on at once)

"It's Christmas Eve!"

"I'm crazy excited"

Both girls in their "Christmas Outfits"

Love these silly faces!

We are just no good at taking "serious" pictures

Ready to read the Christmas Story

Relaxing and resting on Daddy after reading and praying together.

Goodies for Mycah from us and Santa

Goodies for Sienna from us and Santa

Mine and Scott's goodies

Loving it!

Loving her pop top bracelets

Fun times after opening and discovering all the goodies

Scott and I opening our treasures

a gift from me to Scott--headband and bicep bands--I want my man to look good while we work out

Santa's evidence & trace of elf dust from Holly Berry

Holly Berry & Snowy Snowflake eating candy canes and Sienna looking at the note they wrote to her

Our Christmas Ragamuffins get out and enjoy the toys on Christmas morning

Mycah being a little more daring on Sienna's gift & loving her dad's headband

Spinning....

Loving life!

Serious about playing us some Christmas Music on her new guitar

We had some visitors Christmas Day! Love us some Garrett & Ashley!!! (who are incredibly tan from their week long cruise the week before!)

We had a Christmas visitor that did not want to leave...

Blackie!!! He came in to enjoy a sip or two of milk, as a Christmas present, and then had to be lured out of the house with bacon as he was completely content inside. Lesson learned! :)

Hope you enjoyed all the catching up! 

We love you all and wish you a very Happy New Year!!!!