My Blog

I feel like a bad blogger.

As I'm going about each day - I think of a zillion topics for blog posts. But since I'm usually smack dab in the middle of either changing a diaper or cleaning up messes - the neat little blog post ideas I come up with don't ever come to fruition.

I want so badly to be a happenin' blogger babe who regularly writes and who visits other happenin' blogger babe's blogs to see what they are up to. I'm gonna commit to it. I am. Just as soon as I get more than 3 hours of sleep a night - I plan on being a mighty fine and faithful blog lady.

Until then....I'm gonna leave you with some wise words that have encouraged me over the last few weeks. Enjoy them. I'll be back here in the next few days to post again. Thanks for sticking with me :)

"Sometimes we must stop praying for God's work and start doing His work."

"Complacency is a far more dangerous attitude than outrage." - Naomi Littlebear Morena"

"Blessed are those that give without remembering and take without forgetting." - Elizabeth Bibesco

"Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anyone expects of you. Never excuse yourself." - Henry Ward Beecher

Have a lovely week, friends :)

Encouraged

Oh my goodness.

I stumbled upon a gem of a website today.

www.incourage.me - It's a lovely little spot launched my Hallmark's DaySpring division. You should check it out.

The sweet ladies over at incourage are asking bloggers to write about what encourages them. This is right up my allie, y'all.

I wish we were plopped down on a comfy couch - iced tea in hand - talking about what encourages us.... face to face. Oh I'd love that. But since we are all scattered about the country - discussing encouragement on the old blog sounds like a good plan B.....

I'm super encouraged by witnessing people do crazy-awesome things with their lives. Things that make a difference. Things that other people have never done because it was considered too difficult. Things that force the doer to overcome obstacles and beat the odds. Things that would be virtually impossible without faith, tenacity, and endurance. Witnessing others using the talents God gave them to the fullest - is pretty inspiring. Seeing people make things happen really gives me the urge to do the same. When we choose to improve ourselves - no matter how small the change is - we are also choosing to improve those around us. And THAT is powerful.

Other encouragers?

Sunshine. Sports. Reading the autobiographies and stories of successful people. Blogs and my bloggy friends. My husband's college football manuel. Watermelon. My Mom's workout plan. Psalm 119. Warm weather. Spending time with girlfriends. Budding flowers in Spring. My son's laughter. Quotes. MeeMaw's prayers over the phone. My husband. Getting sweet greeting cards in the mail from Maw Maw Jan. My Dad's life story. Philanthropy. Music. Testimonies. Trips to Texas. Traveling. Dancing. And hugs...lots of them :)

What encourages YOU? What makes you feel alive? What gets you inspired? Do tell friends, do tell!

Full

Whew!

So sorry if this post is all over the place - I've been a tinsy winsy bit sleep deprived :)

Why, you ask?

Because.....our baby girl is here!!!!

And oh my goodness. It hasn't even been two weeks since I had her - and she has given me SOOOO many sweet things to blog about. Simple things - like how I love kissing her cheeks and how fun it is to dress her up in cute little outfits. And deep things - like how I have such a strong desire for her to have faith and how I want her to be a confident and courageous lady.

My heart is just so full right now, y'all. The fact that I now have two healthy little ones- is a blessing that is not at all missed by this Mama - not for one second. Yes, I may be a bit sleepy and delirious at times - Yes, I may be typing this with one hand because my new little miracle insisted on being cuddled half-way through this post - And yes, I may be smack dab in the middle of potty training my first born - but friends - my cup runneth over.

The joyful laughter that fills our home - the high fives that go around when my son uses the potty - the cry heard in the middle of the night from my hungry infant - the playful bark I hear from our sweet dog outside, the smell of baby lotion, the bombardment of pink clothing that fills my daughters closet, the "ouch!" that comes out of my mouth every time I step on one of my son's little toy tractors, the sound of the front door opening when my husband gets home from work, the look on his face when he holds our kids, the comfort I feel when he embraces me, the precious words that come out of my son's mouth when he is asked to pray - yes - my cup is overflowing.

I just want to shout "Thank you, Lord!!!" But somehow, that just doesn't seem like enough.

I will be filled with joy because of you, I will sing praises to your name, O Most High.
- Psalm 9: 2

I'm There

I have officially given myself permission to waddle.

I've been fighting the urge for weeks now!

Just wanted y'all to know :)

Awaiting our baby girl's arrival,
Kate :)

Withered to Watered

I've been watering my roots here lately :)

Just the other day I was outside watering my hanging plants - when my 3 year old decided that he wanted to "hep". I filled up the watering pale for him and he got busy. As I watched, I noticed that he was trying to water the actual flower - not the roots or the soil - and the water was pouring out all over the place. I quickly said, "Honey, you need to water the roots. If you do - our flowers will stay nice and pretty. There's no need to water the actual flower, Babe. When the roots are watered - the flowers are, too." And much to my delight - he has been watering the roots correctly ever since. He totally got it.

His Mama got it, too.

I've been realizing here lately that my roots need some tending. I need watered. I need to stop focusing so much on all the external things - what people see and such.

Like my flowers need healthy soil. I need a healthy soul.

Without it, my life will look like my flowers do when I fail to water them - pale, droopy, and lackluster. That's not what I want my hanging plants to look like - and it's dang sure not how I want my life to look either.

We have a baby girl coming in the next month. Yep. Just typing that makes the reality of it all set in. So I have really been asking the Lord to prepare my heart and household for her. Watering my roots. My son's life is about to change in some major ways with our newest addition. I've been asking God to help me serve my son and meet his needs correctly. Watering his roots. My husband has been very busy at work and the company he works for will be rearranging soon. I've been praying over the situation - asking God for guidance and peace and strength. Watering our roots.

And as I focus on nourishing the soil around here - please know that I'm hoping and praying that your soil is healthy, too. I know my blog has been a bit bla lately - but each of you are on my mind and heart so often :) Just know that :)

Busy getting watered,
Kate :)

Blueberry-Banana Bread

Hello Friends!

It has been a while, hasn't it?

Please forgive me for not posting something sooner :) Life has been very full lately!

To start off our week, I just want to post a bread recipe I made a couple of weeks ago. I think you'll enjoy it :) My cookbook has even labeled it "low-fat"! Sweet.

Blueberry-Banana Bread
from Betty Crocker's Cookbook - Bridal Edition p.50

1 1/4 cups of sugar
1/2 cup butter or stick margarine, softened
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups of mashed very ripe bananas (3 medium)
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

1) Move oven rack to low position so that tops of pans will be in center of oven. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottoms only of 2 loaf pans, 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 inches, or 1 loaf pan, 9 x 5 x 3 inches, with shortening. (I used a different sized pan - and it turned out fine!)

2) Mix sugar and butter in large bowl. Stir in eggs until well blended. Stir in bananas, buttermilk and vanilla; beat until smooth. Stir in flour, baking soda, and salt just until moistened. Stir in blueberries. Pour into pan(s).

3) Bake 8 inch loaves about 1 hour, 9-inch loaves about 1 hour 15 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pans on wire rack.

4) Loosen sides of loaves from pan(s). Remove from pan(s) and place top side up on wire rack. Cool completely, about 2 hours, before slicing. Wrap tightly and store at room temperature up to 4 days, or refrigerate up to 10 days.

Enjoy, my Darlings :) And have a fabulous week!

Remodeling

What a busy last few weeks!

Don't you just love springtime? Doesn't it just make you want to fix up your house, clear out the clutter, get outside, and start anew? So refreshing.

Here lately, the handsome hubs and I have been hard at work on our home. We have been cleaning, painting, planting, and rearranging.....You know, all of those homeownerish things people do this time of year. Since this is our first home and since we have a baby girl coming this summer - we have been buzzing around here getting it all done. Whew.

Last night, as we were wrapping up our painting project in the hallway, I started thinking about all of the things we had improved or redone over the last few months in our house: The kitchen remodel is underway. The carpet was replaced. New laminate was installed. We had to get a new roof. And the list goes on. But then I started thinking - Sure, our home is steadily improving and becoming more like the way we envisioned it when we bought it, but....

what about the people inside?

Hmmm. Are we concentrating at all on improving us, our relationships, our faith? Where are our hearts at the moment? What condition is our faith in? Do we need to do any remodeling and updating in our relationships? Do the walls of our hearts and souls need some fine-tuning? Any improvements needed?

Oh, yes.

So, I've decided to start going through Stormie Omartain's book The Power of Praying Together with my husband. What better way to work on improving our family than to turn to The One that knows how to improve us the best?

Sure. We will certainly continue to work on our house and get things accomplished. But, we are also going to work on us, too: Our relationships with the Lord, our marriage, our kids, our attitudes, our struggles, our prayer life, our friendships, our desires. Sometimes you just have to sit back, slow down, and evaluate where things are at the moment. Because while living in a home that is comfortable and updated is nice - living the life that God calls us to live is essential. We can paint pretty colors on the walls of our home all day long - but if the hardened walls of our hearts and lives aren't tended to on a steady bases (or just torn down completely!) - it doesn't really matter does it?

Revelations 2:19 encourages me onward in all this:

I know all the things you do. I have seen your love, your faith, your service, and your patient endurance. And I can see your constant improvement in all these things.

Yes. I want to be more like that.

I'm looking forward to sharing with you what we learn through all this. I love each of you dearly.

Lord, you know where we need improvement. You know what we need to work on. Please reveal to us the things that you want changed. Make yourself known to us. Be present in our home AND in our hearts. Thank you for being a God who is in the remodeling business. In Jesus, Amen.