I came up with this little tip while helping a good friend the other day come up with ideas on design/color schemes etc. on their new home they are moving into. I had so much fun that morning. It was a playdate for Jordan and his friend but I enjoy doing that kind of stuff so I also had a fun playdate!
I absolutely LOVE her mudroom and so wish I still had one of those in our current house. We had one in MN and it was so wonderful especially with boys! She was showing me the bottom part of the benches where the shoes would go and she told me she was going to have to find something to put there so the wood doesn't get ruined. I am not even sure where I got this idea that came to me but I told her to find some cookie sheets that would fit perfectly. It will collect all he mud, dirt etc and you can just wipe it off... Not only is it a neat little trick but a cheap one at that. I found 17x11 size cookie sheets at Walmart for $5.00! I think I am actually going to use this in my entry way/laundry room. I don't have the neat little locker set up anymore but it will help limit the dirt, mud, and pebbles that get tracked in...I could even decorate them with some paint...
Leave it to the mom who doesn't bake cookies that often to use cookie sheets as a shoe holder!
At some point, my wish list has some built-ins put in the garage as our "mudroom"! It is almost a necessity with 3 boys and a husband who likes to get dirty as well!
Busy Wife and Mom to 3 boys... blog with thoughts on raising three boys, life, running, and easy recipes...
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Generations....
"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."
1 Corinthians 13:13 (NIV)
On my bookshelf sits some wedding pictures that I treasure!
Mom and Dad,Grandma and Grandpa Nelson
And on the right Grandma and Grandpa Baudoin
I Love You all!
I pray that the love I have witnessed for so many years is what Charlie and I can leave as a legacy to kids our grandkids! These days the statistics is very sad, one in five marriages are ending in divorce. It isn't easy and marriage takes time, love, patience, understanding, empathy and forgiveness. It's putting your trust in someone and letting your heart lead the way. Sometimes that road gets a little bumpy but all things are worth it in the end. It takes work and a lot of love. Everyone has their ups and downs and rides the rollercoaster of love. If there are children involved, realize you are leaving a legacy. What would your children say about you? Would they be able to speak of love?
"Don' t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity."
1 Timothy 4:12 (NIV)
We lead by example and there needs to be both love and respect. We are showing them the way to love, speak, serve, and live. I am reading a book and it is starting to make sense. Women want to feel and be loved and Men what respect shown to them and that's how they feel loved...it's about communication and understanding each other. It is a cycle that goes on and on....If these needs are not met, things can get a little crazy.How many times have there been things said or unsaid that lead to miscommunication or arguments and there's that uncomfortable silence when you are in the same room because something was said and she felt it was insensitive or she said something that he mistook as disrespectful. Self-Righteousness is also destructive to any relationship. What can one say to a person who is always right and righteous? There's no need to think for both of you and I have learned not offer my opinion unless asked and just listen to his opinions and thoughts that I may consider different (because he is not thinking like me) and either let him vent or just be quiet. Sometimes he is not looking for my opinion! Also, a good come back would be, you can be right but wrong at the top of your lungs. Sometimes its easy just to agree to disagree or forgive and forget...I think that is also called unconditional love. A girlfriend told me this once when we speaking about relationships, "I may not like you right now but I will always love you..."
We kind of live in a tit for tat world and marriages shouldn't be that way but we often feel like it; but love shouldn't be based on percentages.
It is easy to get caught up in this thought, as many women including myself, are the ones doing most of the work at home, while they work at the office and it can seem unbalanced. It is not; because if he didn't go to the office, I couldn't do what I do. I have to remind myself of that when I get into that train of thought and I feel run down.
We both work! It's just different kinds of work. I know I have to remind myself of this often because it is hard work and tiresome. I think appreciation goes along way. If a women is shown appreciation for the things she does, she feels loved. If a husband can provide for his family, he feels respected.
This statement goes back to everything you do counts.
His love blesses regardless of her respect;
Her respect blesses regardless of his love.
Even in trials and tribulations you need to love and trust unconditionally out of respect. If it doesn't come back then it's not you. You are not doing something that is unfruitful. Most of the time, a transformation is in the works or you have planted the seed in your spouse and you don't even know it. I am not very good at patience and it is something I pray for many times. Delay is not defeat. Good things come to those who wait. Sometimes it may take a lot of waiting!
I have a lot of stresses on me such as raising and teaching the children, keeping a healthy loving marriage, being healthy, being a great friend, sister, daughter and granddaughter, keeping a clean and organized house, getting children to their school and activities, serving the lord and others, and others things that I am forgetting. But I would rather have all of these stresses on me than trying to also work on top of that! I would much rather have a loving husband providing for me and work together to keep everyone happy and have a loving home. We are a team. Team Jacobson! It isn't always easy but that's why we have each other to lean on! This post is just some reflection I have had while reading this book and thought I would share. I will be the first to say we are not the picture perfect family and we have our faults just like everyone else! Marriage and parenting didn't come with an instruction book, you figure it out as you go!
Whatever works for you doesn't always work for everyone. When you find that happy medium and life balance than that is wonderful. I think it is a daily see-saw; trying to have a balanced life!
Blessings,
Allie
To sum it up: 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NIV)
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."
"Don' t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity."
1 Timothy 4:12 (NIV)
We lead by example and there needs to be both love and respect. We are showing them the way to love, speak, serve, and live. I am reading a book and it is starting to make sense. Women want to feel and be loved and Men what respect shown to them and that's how they feel loved...it's about communication and understanding each other. It is a cycle that goes on and on....If these needs are not met, things can get a little crazy.How many times have there been things said or unsaid that lead to miscommunication or arguments and there's that uncomfortable silence when you are in the same room because something was said and she felt it was insensitive or she said something that he mistook as disrespectful. Self-Righteousness is also destructive to any relationship. What can one say to a person who is always right and righteous? There's no need to think for both of you and I have learned not offer my opinion unless asked and just listen to his opinions and thoughts that I may consider different (because he is not thinking like me) and either let him vent or just be quiet. Sometimes he is not looking for my opinion! Also, a good come back would be, you can be right but wrong at the top of your lungs. Sometimes its easy just to agree to disagree or forgive and forget...I think that is also called unconditional love. A girlfriend told me this once when we speaking about relationships, "I may not like you right now but I will always love you..."
We kind of live in a tit for tat world and marriages shouldn't be that way but we often feel like it; but love shouldn't be based on percentages.
It is easy to get caught up in this thought, as many women including myself, are the ones doing most of the work at home, while they work at the office and it can seem unbalanced. It is not; because if he didn't go to the office, I couldn't do what I do. I have to remind myself of that when I get into that train of thought and I feel run down.
We both work! It's just different kinds of work. I know I have to remind myself of this often because it is hard work and tiresome. I think appreciation goes along way. If a women is shown appreciation for the things she does, she feels loved. If a husband can provide for his family, he feels respected.
This statement goes back to everything you do counts.
His love blesses regardless of her respect;
Her respect blesses regardless of his love.
Even in trials and tribulations you need to love and trust unconditionally out of respect. If it doesn't come back then it's not you. You are not doing something that is unfruitful. Most of the time, a transformation is in the works or you have planted the seed in your spouse and you don't even know it. I am not very good at patience and it is something I pray for many times. Delay is not defeat. Good things come to those who wait. Sometimes it may take a lot of waiting!
I have a lot of stresses on me such as raising and teaching the children, keeping a healthy loving marriage, being healthy, being a great friend, sister, daughter and granddaughter, keeping a clean and organized house, getting children to their school and activities, serving the lord and others, and others things that I am forgetting. But I would rather have all of these stresses on me than trying to also work on top of that! I would much rather have a loving husband providing for me and work together to keep everyone happy and have a loving home. We are a team. Team Jacobson! It isn't always easy but that's why we have each other to lean on! This post is just some reflection I have had while reading this book and thought I would share. I will be the first to say we are not the picture perfect family and we have our faults just like everyone else! Marriage and parenting didn't come with an instruction book, you figure it out as you go!
Whatever works for you doesn't always work for everyone. When you find that happy medium and life balance than that is wonderful. I think it is a daily see-saw; trying to have a balanced life!
Blessings,
Allie
To sum it up: 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NIV)
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."
Thursday, August 2, 2012
I must have an eye for junk!
Maybe it's a gift or just creative but I enjoy going to the Thrift stores and Goodwill looking for stuff I can repurpose, make it shabby chic, or turn someone's trash into my treasure!
Today got a desk for Braedyn $8.00! Can't beat that! It's a cute lil white desk that I am sure will be adorned with MN Twins stickers, pokemon stickers, baseball stickers and some nice artwork! That's also why it was from the thrift store!
He was so cute working at his new little desk! I walked into his room and he was sitting doing his homework so diligently without interuptions from his little brothers.
HMM, wonder what I can find on my next trip to the thrift shops!
yet to post a pic of my new find!
Today got a desk for Braedyn $8.00! Can't beat that! It's a cute lil white desk that I am sure will be adorned with MN Twins stickers, pokemon stickers, baseball stickers and some nice artwork! That's also why it was from the thrift store!
He was so cute working at his new little desk! I walked into his room and he was sitting doing his homework so diligently without interuptions from his little brothers.
HMM, wonder what I can find on my next trip to the thrift shops!
yet to post a pic of my new find!
Missing You
A song in the works...
Missing You—Allison Jacobson
Just like the wind
memories can come and go
Sneaking kisses dangling our toes
moonlit nights
Down at the docks, by the riverside
Memories of you and me
Keep on coming back to me
We were young and so in love
Wishing our summers never end
when school would start
I’d be missing you again
I’ll be missing you
That’s all I do
Thinking about you
Wondering what life had been
If I had you
Leaving
was the hardest thing
I have had to do
Knowing that I’d still be missing you
Today where’s that boy but now a man?
same lil freckled face and golden tan
a
girlfriend or a beautiful wife?
Living in the country or under city
lights
I ‘m still here missing you at night
workin at my daddy’s store
Just like you met me twenty years before
Same brown hair pale blue eyes
But left to raise this little guy
Life wasn’t always easy livin
Been blessed with all I’ve been givin
couldn’t hide those big brown eyes
staring back at me and then I’d find
That I’d be missing you
I’ll be missing you
That’s all I do
Thinking about you
Wondering what life had been
If I had you
Leaving
was the hardest thing
I have had to do
Knowing that I’d still be missing you
Sleepovers and Friends
I put Braedyn to bed tonight, giving him an extra squeeze as I will miss him tomorrow night. He has been invited to a sleepover at a friend's house tomorrow night. They are bringing him to a Durham Bulls game as they had an extra ticket and asked if Braedyn could go and spend the night. Now I know the family and he will be safe. But I always worry about him when any one of them are not with me....and so it begins! A mother's worry! I told him to call me from the game:)! We will see if that happens... I would be amazed and quite pleased if it does! Braedyns only done this twice with the same family who we know very well and do a lot of things with so that was a little easier on me. This is the first time it has happened where I don't know the family as well. They are very nice people and I am sure he will have a blast! I guess my friends that have girls say this is more of a common occurrence...sleepovers...
He gave Jordan a big hug at bedtime and they said their, I love yous and Braedyn told him he wouldn't see him tomorrow night at bedtime and Jordan had a sad look on his face as we walked out. I asked him what was wrong and he said he was going to miss Braedyn and wanted to make sure he would still see him in the morning when he got up.
A mother's heart must be VERY large because where ever they are they have a little piece of that heart with them! My heart is walking around outside of me so one could say it hurts just a little when they aren't with you! I think that probably is the case for the rest of my life!
He gave Jordan a big hug at bedtime and they said their, I love yous and Braedyn told him he wouldn't see him tomorrow night at bedtime and Jordan had a sad look on his face as we walked out. I asked him what was wrong and he said he was going to miss Braedyn and wanted to make sure he would still see him in the morning when he got up.
A mother's heart must be VERY large because where ever they are they have a little piece of that heart with them! My heart is walking around outside of me so one could say it hurts just a little when they aren't with you! I think that probably is the case for the rest of my life!
Amazing Wonders and Thoughts it Provoked
Last friday at dusk, the boys saw a double rainbow. It was Jordan's first rainbow he has ever seen. He was in awe! It was very pretty and so vibrant! It had stormed pretty good and we went outside and witnessed a perfect rainbow, the full arch from end to end and shortly after for a faint while was a second one on top of the first. If you are on facebook and have friends in the area, a lot of the pictures were posted out on facebook. Jordan was explaining to Charlie, Cooper and I how God lives in the rainbow and he made the rainbow and the rain. Cooper said "no the green guy lives on the rainbow". For a minute, I had a perplexed look on my face, thinking well God isn't green what is he thinking about. Then he said, "you know the green guy with the pot of gold...the lucky charms guy. It dawned on me, "you mean the leprechans?" and then Cooper told me that's what he meant to say! Jordan's response was so darn cute. When you don't think they are really listening they are. At a young age our kids have learned that God has created a beautiful world around them and that God makes things happen. I pray that it sinks in and snipits like that puts me at ease knowing that they know their God is amazing. To them, I have said before, they equate his powers to Batman or Spiderman.
I remember taking notes in my bible next to this in Genesis because I love rainbows and the connection I feel when I see them, "Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth." Genesis 9:16
A couple days later they got into another disagreement. The boys and I have been listening to KLove in the car because I am getting sick of the main stream country and I really enjoy the christian music channel (in the triangle, it's 106.7). The boys get a good message and they really enjoy the music too. I love when they are running around the house singing, "he reigns, allejuhah he reigns..." I will take it where I can get it and if it is listening to that in the car and they get it, then great!. Seems we are in the car a lot! Back to the disagreement, the disagreement came when out of the blue after one of the callers had called in to speak to the DJ and she was speaking about how God came into her life, Cooper asked me, "Mom, is God really alive." and to that response, I said the first that came into my head and I said, "Yes, he is Cooper, we just can't see him but he is like an angel in heaven watching over us." Then Jordan chimed in and said, "Yes, he lives in the rainbow." Cooper then disagreed and said, "No, Jordan he lives on a cloud and I bet it's really soft and the angels are up there too." Then he said, "I bet they just hop from cloud to cloud." So to put that argument to rest we just said he lives on both! Then I was driving thinking to myself...I have two kids discussing where God lives, and it didn't turn into a shouting match but a nice discussion....Hey, at least they know there is a God and they are speaking of him. From time to time, they ask questions about Jesus, God, church, and have questions regarding their faith. At least they are thinking about it, that's more than I can say I did at 3, 6, or 8! Just turning my station to KLove in the mornings, we start our day off to a good day! They are praising him and don't even realize it!
"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth." 3 John 1:4
I remember taking notes in my bible next to this in Genesis because I love rainbows and the connection I feel when I see them, "Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth." Genesis 9:16
A couple days later they got into another disagreement. The boys and I have been listening to KLove in the car because I am getting sick of the main stream country and I really enjoy the christian music channel (in the triangle, it's 106.7). The boys get a good message and they really enjoy the music too. I love when they are running around the house singing, "he reigns, allejuhah he reigns..." I will take it where I can get it and if it is listening to that in the car and they get it, then great!. Seems we are in the car a lot! Back to the disagreement, the disagreement came when out of the blue after one of the callers had called in to speak to the DJ and she was speaking about how God came into her life, Cooper asked me, "Mom, is God really alive." and to that response, I said the first that came into my head and I said, "Yes, he is Cooper, we just can't see him but he is like an angel in heaven watching over us." Then Jordan chimed in and said, "Yes, he lives in the rainbow." Cooper then disagreed and said, "No, Jordan he lives on a cloud and I bet it's really soft and the angels are up there too." Then he said, "I bet they just hop from cloud to cloud." So to put that argument to rest we just said he lives on both! Then I was driving thinking to myself...I have two kids discussing where God lives, and it didn't turn into a shouting match but a nice discussion....Hey, at least they know there is a God and they are speaking of him. From time to time, they ask questions about Jesus, God, church, and have questions regarding their faith. At least they are thinking about it, that's more than I can say I did at 3, 6, or 8! Just turning my station to KLove in the mornings, we start our day off to a good day! They are praising him and don't even realize it!
"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth." 3 John 1:4
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Cooper's birthday party
We celebrated Cooper's birthday on Saturday, July 28th with some his of his friends from school and church. He wanted a small pool party at his house. So that is what we did. They had an excellent time swimming on a hot summer day! They were all exhausted from all the fun!
He was so funny that day. The party wasn't until 3 and he of course was asking every hour "Is it time for my party yet". It was agonizing for him to wait. I then thought, maybe I should have made it earlier in the day. That was until he and Jordan both ended up taking a nap. He was so excited he had made himself take a nap. So glad they took a nap as it was about a 10:30 bedtime! We will celebrate as a family on his special day!!!
I love you lil Cooper and so happy you had a wonderful day! We ended celebrating his birthday at Chik-Fil-A on his birthday! That is where he chose to go. It was kid's night so it was perfect. He got to celebrate with the Cow!
I'll post some pics when I get them downloaded ...ya know me!
He was so funny that day. The party wasn't until 3 and he of course was asking every hour "Is it time for my party yet". It was agonizing for him to wait. I then thought, maybe I should have made it earlier in the day. That was until he and Jordan both ended up taking a nap. He was so excited he had made himself take a nap. So glad they took a nap as it was about a 10:30 bedtime! We will celebrate as a family on his special day!!!
I love you lil Cooper and so happy you had a wonderful day! We ended celebrating his birthday at Chik-Fil-A on his birthday! That is where he chose to go. It was kid's night so it was perfect. He got to celebrate with the Cow!
I'll post some pics when I get them downloaded ...ya know me!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)