Five Minute Friday – Laundry

Posted on October 18, 2013 by Kristin

Linking up with Lisa Jo again this week to participate in Five Minute Friday.

Today’s word is LAUNDRY– ready, set go –

It piles up every day, the laundry that my family produces.

With 6 of us in the family, I need to be doing laundry constantly or it would become overwhelming in a heartbeat.

Each morning before I leave for work I start a load on delay. The best invention for a working mom is a washing machine that can be set to run at delay so that it is complete when I come home for lunch. No more stinky laundry – I love it!

At times keeping up with it can be frustrating. The sheer volume of socks that comes out of my dryer taunts me. I despise folding socks. I will fold everything first before those socks and even then the socks might find themselves spinning along with the next load once again.

But if I stop for a moment I can see the blessing in my laundry.

For some, they have to take their laundry out of the home to pay at a Laundromat. I have access to my washer and dryer any time. For some women in the world, a dirty river is the only place available to get their clothes clean. I have an amazing laundry room compared to those standards.

I know there are women out there that would give anything to have to fold pairs or little socks and underwear, but for some reason can’t have children. Hearing mothers complain about something they only wish was a problem for them can be hurtful. I can see that with each sock that needs to be matched it represents a little member of my family.

I know it can be difficult to see something like laundry as a blessing, but it is. The piles represent life. Our life. With each new day there are messes and stains, but there is life happening around us and so I am grateful for the opportunity to serve my family in this way.

And some day I will hopefully defeat my fear of the overwhelming sock basket. For now I will continue to let my husband, who graciously offers to sort them, tackle that part of the job! 🙂

A Mom’s Night Out

Posted on October 15, 2013 by Kristin

In less than 2 weeks I will be heading out to Greenville, SC to attend Allume. I am a mess of excited and terrified right now but am just praying God’s blessing on this trip.

On Friday night we get to attend a PJ party hosted by the new upcoming movie Mom’s Night Out! We will get to see a sneak peak at the movie and then they are having an open mic time for people to share their blog posts about why we need a mom’s night out! This is what I wrote and if I have the courage, I will share that Friday! 🙂

The growing stain on the kitchen ceiling was the first indication that something was terribly wrong.

Then my 16 year old son came downstairs carrying a soaked towel with these orangey chunks all over it.

Apparently there was a “bit of a mess upstairs”.

“Bit of a mess” didn’t even begin to describe what we walked into.

Puddles of water all over the floor, and Goldfish crackers, well the remains of what was once Goldfish crackers. What we found instead were piles of wet, mushy orange blobs. Blobs that stained the carpet I might add.

The play table was covered with a layer of water and every cup-like toy that was in the room was full.

After some prodding we realize that while I was downstairs taking care of our 2 1/2 year old who had the stomach flu, another whole story, our 4 year old son found an empty milk jug in the recycling bin and proceeded to fill it in the next door bathroom and carry it over to the toy room to “play”.

And play he did! He left no space untouched. Several toys just needed to be thrown away. But what about that stain? What had caused that stain in our kitchen ceiling?

Sure there was water all over the floor and it was soaked in places, but not so badly that I thought it would seep through to the floor below.

No something else had happened – but what?

And then I saw it….

In our house we have several vents covers that aren’t attached to anything and are easily moved. When I saw the cover moved over slightly I asked him…

“Did you pour water down the vent?”

Eyes wide, and guilt washed all over his face, he just stared at me.

Busted!

But things were starting to make sense. He had poured water down into the air vent and it had run it’s course until it found a seam and then had leaked out into the space above our kitchen.

Like his own little toy water slide. I am sure in his mind it seemed like a wonderful idea!

And so the clean up process began, the spills were wiped, the goldfish clumps scooped up and eventually the stain in ceiling would be painted over.

And I’d love to tell you that this was an isolated incidence, but the reality is this is what happened on Sunday afternoon….If I had more time I would tell you the story about the Desitin jug and toothbrush painting, the time we had to buy a plumber’s toilet snake to retrieve not one but 5 toothbrushes out, or the underwear in the sump hole story – yes that’s a doozie!!

I am sure you all have your own stories because being a mom is HARD work!!

And THAT is why I need a mom’s night out!

I’d love to hear your stories – please share one in the comments below!! Let’s get a laugh together today!!

Five Minute Friday – Ordinary

Posted on October 11, 2013 by Kristin

Linking up with Lisa Jo again this week to participate in Five Minute Friday.

Today’s word is ORDINARY– ready, set go –

Sometimes I forget to stop and see it.

The beauty in the ordinary all around me.

My kids recognize it without even thinking about it. My head seems so clouded with stress and fear, anxiety and worry about all I need to do in the little time I have in a day. I don’t stop to see the beauty around me.

We were having family pictures taken and as we were posing a dragon fly landed on Dominic’s knee. The kids got all excited and everything stopped so that they could look at it.

What’s even better is that our photographer Heather took pictures of it!

She saw the beauty in the ordinary too.

As I look at this picture I can see it.

I can remember how excited the kids were, especially the younger 2. How Isaac wanted to capture his own picture, how they all stopped to see the beauty in the ordinary.

It is all around us. As I type I can see glimpses of the trees swaying in the breeze and the colors starting to change in the sky as the sun starts to rise.

If we are open to seeing it, what once seemed ordinary, is amazing and beautiful.

Are you looking for it??

Funding a New Classroom for Mercy House Kenya!

Posted on October 7, 2013 by Kristin

Mercy House Kenya is this amazing organization started by Kristen, blogger at We are THAT family. I have been reading Kristen’s blog posts for several years and know that she has a heart for marriages and families but also for helping the lost.

God placed a big dream on her heart, a dream to open a safe place in Kenya for women to come who were alone and pregnant. In Kenya 21,000 women annually are hospitalized because of an unsafe, illegal abortion. Kristen envisioned a place where pregnant women could come to be provided for and educated during their pregnancy.

You really must head over to her blog and read about some of the beautiful women and their babies that have been saved as a result of this amazing organization.

Photo Credit: Bess Brownlee

(in)courage has partnered with Mercy House Kenya to raise funds for some big projects. In Phase One money was raised to buy a new (used) van for the women at MH. Now we are on to Phase Two – New Classroom Spaces!

The goal is big – but our God is bigger!! I believe that when two, or three or four or more are gathered – amazing things can happen. That is why I am here today. To ask for your help.

$8,500 is needed to fund this project. Myself and many other bloggers will be spreading the word about Mercy House and ways you can support them.

Would you consider a donation of at least $25 today? I don’t want to limit you, so if you feel led and are able to give more, please do. But when I think about what I waste on $25 in just a weeks time…well I think I have a little to spare for something as important as this!

Please checkout more information here and you will also find the button to donate if you are able. And please be in prayer for this organization and the women they are helping.

Thank you so much!

**Disclaimer – I am not being paid in any way to write about or for MH. I love what they do and believe in their mission and was excited to support them in spreading the word!!**

Undivided Mom – E-Book Review!

Posted on October 7, 2013 by Kristin

I am excited to share a new book with you today from my friend Kayse. Kayse is a wife and a mother and God has been working in her heart recently and she has written a 14 day devotional Undivided Mom to help mothers “find Christ in the midst of the chaos of motherhood”!

As a wife, mother and a woman that works full time outside of the home I struggle with balance. It can be difficult to carve out time for me, time for studying God’s Word, time for my kids and my husband.

I know that I don’t handle the balance well – but I am seeking ways to do this better. One of the things I do in the mornings is spend some quiet time reading the Bible and other devotionals. It helps me begin my day right and usually encourages a better attitude for the day.

I was given an advanced copy of this new e-book devotional and started including it in my morning routine. What I like about this book is that it is a quick and easy read – but challenging and encouraging.

Kayse is in the “thick” of motherhood and knows how challenging it can be. But she uses stories from the Bible and her own life experiences to help encourage other mamas to spend their time wisely and have the right focus on and for our kids.

In her own words she challenges us to see where our heart is at….

“Are we anxious and worried about everything that we “need to do”, so distracted by serving that we forget to consider those we serve? Or are we concerned with the “one thing” that trumps all others?

Jesus has called us to be wives and mothers, yes. But first and foremost, He has called us to Himself! He desires our hearts more than our service. If we’ve got our hearts in the right place, everything else is secondary.”

And this gem of wisdom….

“Let’s be sure to communicate to our children that they are the ones we value before all else. That they are deserving of our time and attention. That they are loved, not only by us, but by the God who is never distracted and always available.”

I can’t give away all the goodness though! You need to read it for yourself! And as a part of her launch party she is offering 20% off both of her e-books with code UMLAUNCH20! Coupon code will expire on October 13th.

And to add to the fun please check out Kayse’s launch post that has a Huge giveaway included!!

Do you struggle with finding balance?