..continued

I finally figured out to take the flash off of my camera so here is a picture of the house at night! (See previous post for more details.)

My First Time...

... To Celebrate Halloween!!!

As many of you may, or may not, know, growing up, I was not allowed to celebrate Halloween. It was against my mom's religious beliefs like most other people in the church that I grew up in. My mom says we did celebrate it for a few years but I was too young to remember. I do have memories of Halloween...

Sitting in the dark with no lights on and having to be quiet.

My nana sending over a brown paper bag full of candy every years for us. (She always threw in a few pieces of fruit, too... I think to keep my mom happy. :) )

My dad hanging ghosts made out of sheets from the tree in the front yard just to made my mom mad.

Well, not that I am married and we have children of our own, Kyle and I have started new traditions.

Last year we went to the pumpkin patch and each got a pumpkin. We came home and carved them too! Colton helped pull all the "guts" out and Kyle baked pumpkin seeds that Colton LOVED. That was the first time I had ever carved a pumpkin. When we mentioned going this year Colton said "Yeah and we can eat the "punkin" seeds too!" This is something we plan to do every Fall. :)

We have always dressed Colton up for Halloween (as well as Tayler last year) but Colton was never old enough to understand what was going on so we didn't really "celebrate" Halloween. This year, I will for the first time that I can remember, be celebrating Halloween. We will be dressing the kids up and taking them Trick-or-Treating. I must say, I am pretty excited! I feel all giddy like a 10 year old!

I know different people have different beliefs and I respect those beliefs. But now that I am old enough to decide for myself, I have decided that our family will celebrate Halloween. I am not choosing to dress up as the devil or worship the devil. I am choosing to let my children celebrate in a holiday where they can dress up and be whatever they want for one day of the year and get lots of candy!!

So in the spirit of celebrating Halloween, we have made our home very Trick-or-Treater friendly! Below are pictures of our home. (I have to add, while I am laughing out loud right now, that the entire time I was doing the spider webs, I was chuckling in my mind having all sorts of rebellious thoughts and feelings.

Our door mat :)

Giant spiders!

(Colton does NOT like these!)

This ghost, when turned on, is activated by sound and "flies" from tree to tree howling.

Happy Halloween!


We also switched our porch lights with orange lights :)


If you are looking for cheap decorations (and candy), Walgreens is literally HALF the price of Party City.

What a horrible week

We have had a not-so-nice stomach bug come through our house this past week.

Last Saturday night at about 10pm, Colton woke up and came to the living room very upset, covered in throw up. From then until 4am, I managed to do 5 loads of laundry - all his bedding. During those 6 hours, Colton got sick in his bed 5 times, so I was constantly rotating the 2 sets of bedding. He could not keep any food or juice down. The next day he seemed to be feeling better so we decided to run an errand, but I brought a bag with us just in case. Good thing because he got sick again. So, Saturday night until Sunday at about 5pm, he was sick. I kept him home on Monday from pre-school just to make sure it had passed and he wasn't contagious anymore. I guess I am more considerate than other parents because I heard other parents talking about how their kids were throwing up the day before. Don't people realize they should be well at least 24 hours to not be contagious? GRR. Colton is learning so much but sometimes I wonder if all the germs he is bringing home is worth it.

So, Monday was all good. Kyle is back on worker's comp because he is still having problems with his knee. So, I left him and Tayler asleep on Tuesday while I took Colton to school. When I got back, I could hear Tayler starting to make noises as she was awake. When I opened her door, I knew by the smell it would not be a good day. As I approached her bed, her and her bed were covered in bodily fluids. Tayler was sick until Wednesday morning. She was able to keep down food, unlike Colton, but no milk. I took a trip to the store to get some pedialyte on Tuesday and she and Kyle came with. (Kyle cannot handle throw-up. I swear, if men were the ones having babies there would be no babies! ha) So, Tayler got sick on the way to the store. :( Since it was Kyle's bright idea to take a family trip to the store, he got to clean the carseat. :) Luckily, she was able to hold down the pedialyte and recovered quickly.

The rest of Wednesday and Thursday were all good. Woohoo! The virus has passed! Well, not quite yet...

Friday night, about 10pm, I became very nauseous. I was sick all night until about 4am. It was awful. Yesterday, Saturday, I slept 4am-noon (8 hours), then 1-5 (4 hours) then 6-10 (4 hours) and then 12-9 this morning (9 hours.) I still have a very bad headache but luckily the virus has passed and I can now keep food down. The kids were also angels for Kyle and I did not hear them all day yesterday while I rested.

So, Kyle always being the one who catches things last, woke up this morning nauseous. He now has the bug and is resting between throwing up. Unfortunately, the kids are not being angels for me. I am recovering from being sick and still have a headache unlike any headache I have ever had before, so I am trying very hard to keep my patience. For some reason, the kids do not whien or cry with Kyle but with me that's all there is. So the crying and whining added with my headache added with how far behind in school work I am has made a pretty awful day so far. So, please keep me in your prayers today.

Hopefully after Kyle passes the virus it will all be over. We thought we were doing well disinfecting everything but I guess we will have to spray the entire house down with lysol since it is probably airborne.

So, we have had a stomach bug in our house for over a week now. Hopefully now that Kyle has it, it will all be gone.

Hoping for a better week this week!

Tammy

WOOO HOOOO !!!!!!!

Just wanted to share with everyone that I passed my state exam!!!!!!! To become a certified teacher, I have to take 2 state exams. I took the first one yesterday. There is a 5 hour time limit and I spent 3 1/2 hours. It was a VERY long morning. I felt very uneasy when I left. There was so many that I was unsure of or could not decide between 2 answers on. Luckily, my gut instincts paid off!

The test was scored 100-300, 300 being the highest score. Passing is 240. I got a 267! :)

These scores are public records and accessible to school administrators. I really wanted to pass the first time around so that when I am trying to get a job they would not see failing grades.

I do not have to have these tests passed right now. However, this is my last semester of courses. I will be student teaching in January and graduating in May. So, I do not want the stress of a state exam while student teaching. Also, I would really like to be state certified when I start student teaching so that I can start applying for jobs before I even graduate. It would be better for an employer to be waiting for my diploma than my certification. Or if I get lucky and the school I am student teaching at has an opening, they can hire me under contract right then. So, I am hoping to take my other state exam during the Christmas break so that all I have to do next semester is get through student teaching. '

So I am giving myself a big pat on the back right now!!

What I'm Up To

I haven't blogged much lately, for several reasons. First, I haven't had much to share. Second, I am extremely exhausted and overwhelmed with school. I thought this semester would be easy since it's my last but it has turned out to be the most difficult. I have 5 online classes and all require A LOT of reading and A LOT of assignments. In addition, I will be taking my first of 2 state exams on Monday morning. A part of me is really nervous and a part of me isn't. I am really worried about not passing since the scores are public record and my future employers can look them up. However, I have not studied as mush as I could have. So, deep down inside, even though I am nervous, I don't feel too worried about it or I would have studied a lot more. It's one of those tests... if I don't know if by now through the knowledge I have gained in my course study, then I just don't know it.

Several months ago, I blogged about how I had started going to church again. Unfortunately, I was not fully commited because after a few weeks, I stopped attending. A couple of months ago, Kyle and I did visit another church in the area. However, the experience was awful. The church was completely opposite of what we were looking for. I received a flyer in the mail a few weeks ago for the church I had been visiting for the new series that would be starting. (The blog post written directly before this one gives the summary of the first sermon in the series.) I have one word to describe the service - AMAZING! I wasn't fully committed before. I also noticed the difference in my life when I was not committed. I am now fully committed. I realize my life is better with the Lord in it and I am going to do my best to strengthen my relationship with Him.

In addition, I also signed up for a small group a few weeks ago. (Small groups are basically a Bible study.) This past Sunday was the first meeting. I really enjoyed it even though I was completely out of my comfort zone. The small group is based on the curriculum "Parenting the Early Years." They have soo many groups to choose from, but after I watched the preview for the curriculum - you can view it Here...

http://www.bluefishtv.com/Store/Retail/2927/Parenting_-_The_Early_Years_Kit_for_New_Customers/f=s1&s=parenting%20the%20early%20years

After I watched this video, I just knew this would be the perfect group for me to start in because it is something familiar to me that I can relate with other people about. Also, I figured it would be a great way for me to meet other people with small children.

Last week was just introductions and getting to know everyone. It was hard because practically everyone had their spouse with them and I did not, but I just kept thinking to myself "What bad will come out of this?" I honestly could not think of anything. Even though it is new to me, I know it will not do anything but benefit me. The first few weeks will be a study that goes in depth to what is discussed on Sunday sermon and the second half will be the parenting curriculum.

So, just wanted to share a huge step I have taken in my life. :)

Love,
Tammy

What's In Your Heart?

A few months ago, I started visiting a church down the street called Parkway Fellowship. It is completely different from what I grew up going to, which is exactly what I was looking for. A nontraditional, contemporary church with meaningul sermons that I can relate to real life. Today, the Pastor started a new series "What Lies Within." I was very moved by this sermon and am looking forward to the rest of the series. I am writing this post as a reminder/summary of the sermon today but also has an inspirational piece for those reading this who may be interested in reading it.

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9/19/10 "It All Starts in the Heart"

Matthew 12:18-19 (NIV)
But the things that come out of the mouth come from the hart, and these make a man 'unclean.' [19] For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony,s lander.

The pastor had a huge red foam heart on a stand. He then opened a box of things that people may have in their heart written on swords.... anger, jealousy, lust, greed, fear and unforgiveness. One by one he gave examples of things you may have in your heart.. something happened to you when you were helpless, someone hurt you, you are afraid and can't open up which causes insecurities, unforgiveness from someone walking out on you, you wish you had things that your friends have, you always buy things for yourself and do not think about others, married but still finding your eyes wandering?, etc. With each example, he jabbed the sword into the heart. This is what our hearts look like. We have all of these negative feelings stuck deep into our hearts. He said that all of these things can have an affect on you for the rest of your life. These feelings don't just affect you. They poison every relationship around you.

He said that when we are little, we learn to filter the things that we say. We say things and then later said "I didn't mean that" or "I don't know where that came from." The truth is... we do mean it.. and it came from our heart. When our filters start to wear thin, what comes out is a reflection of what is in our hearts. Have you ever heard someone say "He is not the person I married" or "What has gotten into you." They are the same people. The difference is you are getting a glimpse into what's really in their heart.

Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)
Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.

"Guard" means to "watch over" as one watches over a vineyard or garden. If you do not attend to your garden, it would grow over with weeds. These negative things in your heart will do the same. They will take over your life and spread. We know how to filter what comes out of our hearts but we need to know how to guard out hearts from what comes INTO it. Then we don't have to worry about filtering!

How do guard your heart?
1. Get drastic about protecting what goes in.
- Keep out what's bad.
- Plant what's good.

Challenge #1: Listen to only Christian music until October 31st. (This is when the series ends.) Listening to only Christians music will probably put you in a better mood. Try it.

Challenge #2: Throw out all of your R-Rated movies. If the content of these movies are not appropriate for impressionable people because the content can get into their hearts, then what are you doing with them?

Challenge #3: Come to church every week for the remainder of the series. Simply being in church will change you.

Challenge #4: Commit to study the Bible. (on your own, in a Bible study, etc.)

2. Deal with personal hurt right away.
Many undesirable things in our heart come from personal hurt. Pull it out while it's small before it gets out of control.

Jeremiah 17:9a (NIV)
The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.

2 Cor. 5:17 (Living)
When someone becomes a Christian, he becomes a brand new person inside. He is not the same anymore. A new life has begun!

If you want His help, you have to ask Jesus to come into your life and forgive you of all of your sins. You have to pledge your life to Him.

If you have a weed in your garden and you don't do anything about it, the root will grow deep and will grow over your plants, mulch, flowers, etc. If you don't guard your heart, these negative things in life will take over your heart. Each week, the pastor will go into detail about each aspect (anger, jealousy, lust, greed, fear and unforgiveness.)

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If you are interested in attending Parkway Fellowship, their website is http://www.parkwayfellowship.com/ It is a very casual church (jeans, flip flops, etc.) It is also nontraditional with contemporary music and a live band. Service times are 9:15am and 10:45am. Below is a schedule of the sermons in this series.

Sept. 26th - Getting to the bottom of anger.

Oct. 3rd - How to stop jealousy in its tracks.

Oct. 10th - Finally finding freedom from lust.

Oct. 17th - How to overcome the need for greed.

Oct. 24th - Putting away fear.

Oct 31st - Unforgiveness - The biggest of them all.

Wishing you a wonderful day!

Tammy

Red & White Tortellini

About 2 weeks ago, I decided to spend an entire day preparing meals and then freezing them, that way I do not have to spend every evening cooking. I got several meals knocked out in one day. But trying to find meals that please everyone (well, I should say Kyle, my husband) is very difficult. Kyle claims he is not a picky eater, but those of you who know him well enough know that he is a very picky eater. If it is healthy, he does not like it. If it has vegatebles (other than green beans) he does not like it. (Tomatoes, onions, peppers, cream of mushroom soup, etc... don't even think about it!!) So, I am here to share with you a VERY simple recipe that got 4 thumbs up (1 for each of us!) :) The kids both cleaned their plates. Tayler scarfed hers. (This is very easy for a toddler to eat!) and Colton asked for seconds. To my surprise, Kyle liked it and even said he would like to have it again. So, if he liked it, it must be good!! So, here is the recipe incase you are looking for a simple dish.

This recipe is a large amount. I actually halved it. Here is the original (large amount) recipe.


Red & White Tortellini

Serves: 8

Ingredients:
2 (10 oz.) packages refrigerated or frozen cheese tortellini, uncooked.
28 oz. jar spaghetti sauce
1 cup water
12 oz. jar alfredo 4 cheese sauce
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 lb. fully cooked meatballs (1 bag)

Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a bowl, mix together spaghetti sauce and water.
- In a 3 qt. glass baking dish, pour in tortellini and meatballs.
- Pour spaghetti sauce mixture into glass baking dish. Make sure tortellini and meatballs are fully coated with sauce.
- Use a spoon to drop the alfredo cheese sauce over the casserole.
- Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.
- Cover tightly with foil.
IF YOU ARE GOING TO FREEZE IT, FREEZE HERE.

To Cook:
(If frozen, thaw in refrigerator over night.)
- Bake covered on 350 degrees for approximately 45 minutes.
- Uncover and bake 10 more minutes or until tortellini is tender.


It has only a few ingredients and super easy! I like to use flavored spaghetti sauce (like garlic and herb) for extra flavor.

Enjoy!

- Tammy