Just a quick note about Mom N Mia Quilts Etsy Shop who is offering a high quality handmade quilted Wrap It Up crayon roll at JOT Giveaways.  I would love to have one of these even though I have no small children right now.   I love to color!  So go check this out.  This would make a great birthday gift for someone special in your life! Or if you are like me you would keep it to show off the neat handiwork!                        

Friday Follow and Cash giveaway!

Ok Guys...here is another fun one for a Friday!

This time the sponsor is giving away not one, not 2 but THREE!!!  $100 giveaways!
WOOHOO!  Who could ask for anything more?
Plus u get the chance to follow other bloggers and see what is going on in their world!

As you can see I am excited!  So try it you will like it!

Sponsored by:

Cleaner More.....

Today is the day that we show our lives to you thru Kelly's blog.

Topic:  Cleaning Supplies

I am sharing with you on Friday, the day before we always do

DEEP CLEANING BEDROOMS

here at Promise House, some of my favorite cleaning supplies.

My favorite cleaning supply brush for the kitchen is sold at my favorite store.

You can find this item which is white with a blue handle hanging near the sponges on the cleaning alse.

One of our favorite cleaning supplies is a home rememdy of half water and half bleach in a spray bottle.

Normally, I try to hit the girls bathrooms several times a week...no potties, I leave all that to them.

But I do spray down the sink and countertop!  Jesse will bleach the shower stalls about once a month.

Another one of our favorites is using vingear to clean with...

I have used this on showers, floors, cabinet tops

of course, I usually dilute it to half vinegar and half water!

My favorite pottie cleaner (for the outside, of course!) is the Colorox Wipes.  I have them in all the girls bathrooms right along with an old toothbrush to keep that pottie sparkling!

Sometimes I get the chance to walk the alses at the stores to see what products are now out on the market.

We are die hards around here for using the same things over and over....mostly if they are economical.

I am always up for new ideas.  We don't have crayon marks on the walls usually but I occasionally do find pen and pencil marks on the walls and furniture.  Graffitti is the name of that game! ha!

So what are some of your favorite cleaning supplies?  Do you have some homemade remedies that you could share with me?

Faster than a Speeding Bug

I have been asked recently...How do we do this? 

I always reply:  This?  Parenting? but then I am being a smarty britches when I say that!

I Love to show off the house to guest.

I have never been one to entertain before our move here.

Entertaining makes me so very very nervous...

but on a weekly basis we have 5-10 people/groups come by the Promise House for the first time.

Oooppsss!  I have got to rambling on the wrong trail..

Sorry!

Now back to How we do this?

Some days and nights are not easy at all

Some things I can share and some I can not

But tonight is a good "for instance"

or should I say this week being it is SPRING BREAK!

Nough said!

Anyways, we do this first because God has called us here

I have to remind myself of that...call me the doubting Thomas I suppose

But

I am not sure if I can explain how we do this?

This week our girls discovered our spring time insect that claims our house every year...

the multi legged centipede!

Boy! I wish I could get as great a pic as they did!  O well...

They are sometimes seen running rapidly across the floor with great speed, stopping suddenly to remain motionless and then resuming fast movements at least going as fast as a speeding bullet.  No not really, but it does seem like they are going that fast!

Tonight after the "doorbell" rang for the 5th time...we have doorbells on each hall that they can ring if there is an emergency for instance .... your water breaks. you are in labor, etc.

I had one doorbell ring for...you need to get me some larger pants...ummm so did you not think about this before 9 p.m., then the 2nd doorbell ring was I forgot to get my coat  ...  yeah, it is gonna be FREEZING in your room tonight when you sleep in your bed!  then the 3rd bell was planned...she needed to get her clothes out of the dryer.  On to the 4th doorbell ring...Mrs. Susan, I just killed one of them bugs in my bed!!!  In your bed?  Yes, In my bed!!  OK then so go back to your bed and get the bug out, put him in the trash and go to sleep.

Bell number 5....Mrs. Susan...I can't tell if there are any more bugs in my bed?  Did you look?  Yes ...well then go get back in your bed and I will be there in a few minutes.

I go to her room...she is standing in the doorway.  No plans of getting in her bed.  I search the bed.  Tell her all is clear of those bugs.  She says ok.

I sit back in my chair....AND you guessed it...

the doorbell rings for the 6th time in less than an hour and a half!

My bug girls says:  I need you to reset my alarm clock.

Me: Why?

Her:  cause I not on purpose unplugged it.

Me:  and how did that happen?

Her:  I was changing beds...

Ok I GIVE UP!  I am headed now to change the alarm clock and hopefully those centipedes won't follow her to the other bed in the room....

Hint:  Our girls love to hide candy in their bedrooms...and our bug guest love the smell of it!

One more funny for the evening

Girl tells friend on the phone:  I have done everything I know to get out of here and they won't budge!

I could't help but giggle!

Nite All!

Bling Strands Give Away at "Its Me Melbie...Ends April 14

Just a quick post about a friends giveaway at It's Me Melbie.  Take a moment today to check this out.  She has several, several give aways but the one today is about Bling Strands. 

Bling Strands was invented in 2008 by Joanne and Angela and they are the original of it's kind, meaning they were FIRST on the market, before those other types you find in beauty stores. Bling Strands do not require glues, chemicals or special tools, are easy to remove and change colors when the mood strikes you, and they can be washed in the shower and even blow dried and flat ironed up to medium heat! Bling Strands have been featured in magazines such as 101 Hairstyles, Short Cuts, American Cheerleader, Pixie & Bridal Hair Guide and have been seen on celebrities, most recently Beyonce at the Grammys!

Have Fun!

Baby Room for Babies to be!

Our girls here at the Promise House have chores that they do on a regular basis.  They get points for doing these if they have a good attitude, do them without being asked and no complaining. They also have a chance to earn extra points for other things they may do around the house.  Once every two weeks the girls get to visit the "Baby Room" to spend the points they have earned for the two weeks. 

All of the Baby Room things are donated to Promise House.  I love the baby room!  It is my favorite of all the rooms here at the house.  In the last year we have had two sets of moms that have twin girls give to the Baby Room.  Only if we could find a couple of sets of moms that have twin boys.  We have had more boys than girls born here at the house since we begin as houseparents in August of 2008.  You can see that by the amount of girl clothing versus the boy clothing.

Here are a few more pics of the room.  As you can tell it is well taken care of, our part time secretary takes the time to keep it clean.  She also has the opportunity to visit with each girl as they "shop" in the Baby Room.  Mary Jo is such a blessing to each of us!

Gotta go!  We have a youth group here playing games with our girls.  So I gotta check on things....thanks for stopping by to see me!

Later,

       Susan

I will make it to the end....of the room that is!!

Last Wednesday, the day of our shift change, I started a project that I thought I could finish with no problem.

Ha! The project showed me otherwise....

It all started as below:

This is our clothing room...which gets the best of me all the time!

I wanted to clean a room and be part of Simplifying for Sanity.

This room is home to all the clothes that any girl that comes thru Promise House will wear for her time here.  We furnish all that a girl wears from the pony tail to the shoes. 

I had been kinda lazy with getting some items rehung after a couple of girls had left following their babies being born since Decenber.  We also have had a few donations of maternity clothes that I have to sort and hang. 

Then do we have to mention that this week is SPRNG break.  My intentions were to be ready so I could get every girl to have summer shirts.  This meant that I took all long sleeve shirts down to be folded and unpacked the short sleeves to hang for the summer season.  Whew!  Boy that tires me out to just write it!

I can say that after 9 hours the first day, 4 hours yesterday and about 4 hours today....the room is complete.

Now onto my next problem.....Sewing Room is my project for this week!

Susan

Pecan Island Mission Trip 2007

Kellys Korner blog every Friday does a Show Us Your Life.  Todays was Mission Trips.  Here is one of mine:

In 2007 we moved to Lamar, Ar where my husband was the pastor of Lamar Baptist Church.  We planned a mission trip to go back to where we had come from....to help with some of the clean up from Hurricane Rita.  We contacted the Pastor and his wife at Pecan Island Baptist Church.  They were more than willing for us to come.  This island was totally under water with Hurricane Rita.  There was only one house that was not touched in some sort of way with this storm.  If you have ever lived in an area where there is destruction such as a hurricane, a tornado, etc you may have had the heart like I had to go back and see that there was help even after two years.  I was able to participate in this mission trip due to a kind and loving church that was willing to send a group of us there to help a very small church.  The pictures tell the story....enjoy!

Painting the sign that belonged to the church.

Painting the front steps of the church.

Jesse helping dig a water line

We were able to help two families in the community.  Above is a before and after picture of a trailer.  The other is a trailer that belonged to an Uncle and nephew who needed a small porch to sit under on an afternoon after working all day.

Mrs. Broussard holding the prayer blanket that the ladies of the church made.  We were able to give out over 40 of these blankets to the families on the Island.

A typical scene but beautiful in the bayou.

On the last day of very high temperatures God sends a cloud to cover our men working on the tin roof.

For a few minutes we were able to get down and play in the water along the Louisiana Gulf Coast

Kelly's Korner: Play Group and a Question#disqus_thread#disqus_thread

Kelly's Korner: Play Group and a Question#disqus_thread#disqus_thread

Following a journey ....

I have a friend that is a journeyman to Ecuador.  She was our Summer Intern/Missionary two summers ago here at the Promise House.  Audra is awesome~  She taught me things even though she is younger.  She taught me things about the computer, how to survive with 8 pregnant girls for all those long summer days, that no matter where you go and even if you know no one in the state that you can find a connection...her supervisor is our long time friend from seminary and she taught me how to knit on a loom. 

  I cannot tell you how many scarves I have knitted and given away....it is so much fun!  So back to Audra...she has a blog which I encourage you to check out.  The latest post is about the Proverbs 31 woman while spotlighting a special group of ladies that she has come to know. 

Go ahead!  All you have to do is click on that red word named blog!  You will love it!

Susan

What color is your Sharpie Marker?

As I sit here tonight recapping my day

munching on my

I can only be thankful for the things that my Momma and Daddy taught us girls...

they brought us up in a christian atmosphere of which I am very thankful!

They taught us wrong from right

they taught us not to lie, steal, or fight.

I have had an eventful Monday evening.

Even though none of these girls are from my womb

my heart aches for them especially when things go south

I can only quote my favorite verse which I think applies to each one that passes under our care

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you HOPE and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

We made one of our monthly trips to Sams today.  I was eager to get there to pick up one of my favorite things.  Sharpie Markers!  Yes!  In an assortment of colors....I couldn't wait!  Now how can someone get so excited over sharpie markers....well I love to use them all the time.  My favorite color to use is

How would you have guessed?  (except for those that have known me for a long long time)

I have a new project that I am using them with and my pink had run out of ink on Sunday...how dare!

Here at Promise House we have to drink 64 ozs plus of water every day...

yes, I know this is breaking news (to my girls anyways!) BUT it is like our number one golden rule

So to make the process of keeping up with how much the girls are drinking easier

(my director shared with me the following that worked at one time here at Promise House)

I colored, with my sharpie markers, a clothes pin on one side

then I marked on the girls water chart the color of their pin.

Each time a girl empties her 32 oz mugs of water she has to show me and pins the pin on me

So far I have three out of five girls drinking their water everyday....

ok.ok.ok.  I have just started this on Saturday but three days running is an excellent record!

I have other projects that I have used them with in the past

Vacation Bible School

Crafts

Clothes Labeling

etc. etc. etc.

So tell me .... what do you use your Sharpie Markers for?

Duck, Duck ....Goose!

This was my first Duck Duck Goose Sale. I am the houseparent for a maternity home so the girls and I loaded up this morning and headed to the State Fair Grounds. The girls really enjoyed looking for half price items! We had a blast! We actually found two onesies and one shirt all for a buck and half!

So if you live near one of the cities that Duck, Duck, Goose is at ...GO! 

You will have so much fun.

All kinds of things from babies to juniors!

        p.s.  check to see if you have one in your state!

Susan

Here we go...another give-away! Divine Baker's Twine + More

Whisker's Graphics is giving away 15 yards of Divine Bakers Twine in each of the five colors (Green Apple, Lemon, Aqua, Orange & Black Licorice) + some surprise little crafting treats from her supply stash.

The colors are so cute!  But what do you do with Baker's Twine?  Me, being the creative one that I am wanted to know so I have looked up a couple of blogs that have shown some things they have seen or done with Baker's Twine.

1.Whisker's Graphics shows us some cool things to make from cards to decorating a spice tin that she had emptied!  and to think this became a pencil container....This item just rocks. I had one of my girl's ask for one just the other day...future craft I see in my future if I win the baker's twine! ha!

2.    Elizabeth Annes Designs show us how to use the twine with decorating invitations, etc and with wrapping a present.  Neato!

3.  Bake It Pretty is giving us an awesome Christmas tree ornament idea to make.  Full of sparkles and loooks good enough to eeat!

                                      Yummie! Nummie!
                         Susan

"Girly Girl Giveaways" so much fun....

I wanted to take just a few minutes to let you know about a site that I have found, Girly Girl Giveaways.  I think I found this site by accident but then giveaways are always so much fun especially if I am the one on the receiving end of the giveaway. She is a youth pastors wife with little ones at home which is something that I could relate to at one time in my life. 

The giveaways are really cute and awesome!  The March giveaways just ended but I will be helping her to promote her April giveaways!  So check her blog out...I think you will like it especially if you have a little girl like my niece.

She is busy dancing!

You can keep up with Girly Girls Giveaways from my page by this little button:

or by becoming a Networked Blogs follower. You can join my Networked Blogs too! ;o)

I will leave you with her blog address:  http://girlygirlgiveaways.blogspot.com/

Later Gators!

MY AMERICAN SOLDIERS

John at graduation with his family.  Georgiana and "B"

Ben at John's graduation while we said the Pledge to the Flag

I have two soldiers who use to be my young'uns, my babies, my boys.  Now they are men thanks to the Army.  But I still have them in my heart and mind as my young'uns, my babies, my boys!  Always have been since I was told I was carrying them in my womb and always will be until the day I die.  They have both grown up and went about their way which is what a child is suppose to do.  But tonight I want to ask for prayer...maybe more for the mom than than the soldier but I seem to think the soldier.  One of them is deploying to Afghanstan and told me on facebook tonight that "it seems the closer we get to deployment the longer the days become" and the other one told me that "next weekend we go on a three day in the field".   By the end of the year both boys MEN could be overseas...one in Afghanstan and the other in Iraq.  Then I truly can say...both mom and "da boys" will need your prayers. 

Serving others...Acts of kindness

Since we begin our journey as a married couple we have been either bovocational or full time in the ministry.  Therefore we have served others over and over with acts of kindness.  I am sharing with you tonight a  small list of what I think are great ideas for doing just that serving others over and over! 

We are instructed to serve him by serving others. 
And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”   Mark 10:42-45 ESV

My list:

1.  Join with a church group going on a Mission Trip.

2.  Volunteer at a homeless shelter.

3.  Bake a dessert for a sick one that you may know.

4.  Volunteer to babysit for a young mother for her to have a "Mom's Day Out".

5.  Take the trash out for a Senior Adult.

6.  Give to a family in need.  ex:  groceries, gas, children's birthday or Christmas presents.

7.  Send a soldier a letter or care package.

8.  Volunteer where you can share the life of Jesus in someone else's life!
                            (By the way, I know of a great place!)

How can you know if you have the heart of a servant?
Jesus said, "You can tell what they are by what they do" (Matthew 7:16 CEV).

So what are some of your ideas to "Serve Him thru Others"?

Supper by me.....

an interesting title!  Jesse normally does all the cooking here at Promise House.  He helps me out tons when he cooks plus the girls love it!  Since we came back on duty this time he has been sick.  (Which this has been almost 10 days!)  On one of the days that he was not feeling well I made a run to Kroger to buy some red beans and sausage.  I was going to make supper for the night.  When the girls heard that I was cooking they were just a tid bit apprehensive!  But that was ok with me I continued to make the receipe of  Camellia's Famous New Orleans Style Red Beans and Rice.  The girls enjoyed the meal.  Our kids would say: Red beans and rice again!  We ate tons of this meal while Jesse was in seminary.  But it is easy to cook and inexpensive for a family of 5, 6, or more!

For my Arkansas friends that love pinto beans there is a recipe on Camellia's Family Recipe Page, Connelly's Macho Pintos.  By the way, the girls love pinto beans so maybe next week we will have them for supper one night.

Arlyn's Rolling Pin Custom Cakes and 8 little purses...

Arlyn Howard who has a custom cake business, Arlyn's Rolling Pin, visited with us here at Promise House today.  Arlyn was so sweet to come to share how to make a small cake for each girl.  She actually brought two cakes per girl which turned out to look like small purses.  She had made a bigger cake that was a replica of the small cakes that the girls made...

The girls started with a round piece of cardboard which Arlyn showed them how to wrap the circle so that the cake would have something pretty to sit upon...

Next the girls started the wrapping of the fondant icing...

They were all busy placing the fondant icing over the cake and smoothing thewrinkles out...

Next the girls took a butter knife and cut away the edges at the bottom of the cake...

Now we are getting ready to start the decorating as soon as we ....

put the handles on our purses! hehe....

See...we are close to being finished....

Finishing up the final touches....

Now look at what we created...so cute!

(We had one more but she had already wrote her name in icing in front of the cake so I couldn't post it on here)

Great job Girls!!!  I am so very proud of you!

A great big thank you to Arlyn for all the time that you gave to us to prepare for this and to come here to the house to teach us how to decorate cakes.  The girls loved it!