Expectin' a 2010 tax write-off!!!!!

Yes, you read that right!! We are expecting our fourth baby!! The little deduction is due August 11. Our children are so excited. We told them today and Jackson and Lilly looked at one another and said, "We're having another baby. Yay!!"...followed by hugging and dancing around. They were so cute!!
Just thought I'd share the baby's first picture with y'all...
Happy Wednesday!!
Elise

Quirky

Yes, I have a few little quirks that y'all don't already know about. I buy my paper goods based on their texture or imprint. I love the flowers on the napkins above. No seashells or ivy for me. ;)

I love the quilted look of the Sparkle one above. I used to buy the printed paper towels, but I now love the simple look of white.

One time at Kroger, I couldn't find white Sparkle paper towels, so I bought the Kroger brand ones. I actually love the look of these better.

Sooo...here is another of my quirks. Anybody with me on this one??

True Confession

Do y'all remember that magazine?? Kind of trashy, but my friend and I used to read her mom's copies. Anyway, this isn't trashy, so have fun reading!! Or not, its up to you!!
Confession Survey
1)What is your blogger name?
Elise
2)When is your birthday?
November 11
3) How long have you been blogging?
10 months, I think??
4) Who tagged you?
Jes By the way, where is your music?? I miss it!!
5) Tell me your 5 most favorite body parts?
I like my eyes, nose, my legs used to be nice. Beyond that, I am just glad they all work!!
6) What do you wish most for your birthday?
Like something that could actually happen or a fantasy?? For real, maybe money to go antiquing or thrifting, but if I'm shooting for the moon, then I would love for my home to be paid off.
7) What color are your nails now?
Au naturel. My toenails are black, though!!
8) Any depressing thoughts lately?
Nah...try not to go there!!
9) What's your next 1 month's plan?
Unpack, paint, decorate, and maybe plant some things. I would love to have a garden. Except, I have a black thumb!!
10) At what age did you have your first crush?
Probably in Kindergarten...I am going back into the recesses of my brain trying to figure it out!!
11) Did you attend any school reunion after you graduated?
Yes, and it was a big waste of money!!
12) Are you a clean freak?
Um, I like for things to be clean, but I am not a neat freak. I wish I were, though!!
13) Which era do you wish you were born in?
I love our modern conveniences, but I would have loved to have lived long ago. Take that back. I love AC too much!!
14) Are you a vegetarian?
No...I tried for a day and was so ill{mean}, husband nipped that in the bud!!
15) How many pillows do you sleep with at night?
One.
16) Are you a light sleeper or I-don't-care-if-there's-a bomb sleeper?
I am a light sleeper. Always have been. Besides, someone has to wake up with the kids.
17) Do you secretly wear comfortable grandma panties when your husband is not around?
I ALWAYS go for comfort!!
18) What is your ultimate dream job?
I'm living it!!
I did want to be a singer and actress when I was younger.
19) What is it your hubby does that annoys you the most?
Um, my husband is perfect!! Just kidding...He doesn't "appreciate" my free spirit tendencies. I.E. CLUTTER!!! Hahahahaha!!!
20) What is your dream car?
Anything paid for that runs. Which is what we have!!
21) Do you easily wake up in the morning?
Depends on what time I go to bed. If I hit the hay early, say around 10pm, then yes, I can wake up easily.
22) Do you like hairy men? goateed men?
No to back hair, YES to facial hair!!
23) What would you prefer? two hour spa, two hour foot massage, or 2 hour Thai massage?
How about the money it would cost and I can go shopping!!
24) Have you ever wished you had a different name?
No. I will say that when called Elsie it was bothersome. Or when I would tell people my name and they would say Enise, Denise, or some other such non-sense. Now, I like being unique!!
25) What is the most extreme sport you have ever done?
I went parasailing once, but don't know if that is considered a sport. It was kind of extreme for someone afraid of heights!!
26) Do you prefer traveling in Europe or Asia?
Love Europe, never been to Asia.
27) What is your favorite food?
I like it all, especially if I don't have to cook it!!
28) What is the most embarrasing moment you had on a date?
I don't think I've had an embarrasing moment. I don't embarrass easily.

Now, I am supposed to tag others, but I am electing not to. ;)
Happy Saturday!!

FREEDOM!!!

I will start this post by saying that I grew up what I will call a "religious mutt". We went to many types of church's growing up-Baptist, Methodist, Catholic, Pentecostel, Christian. We've been to almost all of them at one time or another. I don't think one religion is "better" than another.

With that being said, somehow I ended up quite legalistic. I remember being a little girl at the Baptist church and having these offering envelopes. You had to check off whether you read your Bible everyday, brought a friend, etc. I took that to be my holiness meter. I remember thinking if I didn't read my Bible one night and I died then surely I would go to Hell. Its almost funny now, but its really not. How many people are struggling like that now?? I know that God's word doesn't say that anywhere. I also know that the enemy{Satan} comes to kill, steal, and destroy. I struggled my whole life with my salvation. I know{I thought} I was saved when I was around 7. I was at a revival and walked down that aisle and I knew why. I have been baptized 3 times since that. Did it not "take" the first time?? I don't know about that thought process.

After we left the Baptist church we went to the Pentecostel church. I was going to be really spiritual then with my dresses and growing my hair out. Something still didn't totally jive with that, because I still wore my jewelry and pants on my "off days". I remember going there and this lady asking if I had the Holy Ghost. I told her yes and she said, "Then speak in tongues". I tried, I really did. Then the lady said that I did not have the Holy Ghost because I couldn't speak in tongues. I was in fifth grade, y'all. Now I cannot believe how that lady acted. And while I am on the subject, you wearing dresses or not cutting your hair, not watching tv or listening to certain types of music does not define your salvation or what degree of Christian you are. Simply having a relationship with Jesus is the important thing.

When I met my husband he was Pentecostel and we were back to Baptist after a few stops around the religious block. We were moving away from both of our churchs, which were far away from one another as well, we decided to find a happy medium. When I was pentecostel, I thought everyone who wasn't was going to Hell and thought Baptists were a bunch of hypocrites, and then when I was Baptist again, I couldn't believe that I thought that. Of course, I thought Baptists were perfect(as much as a human can be) and that everyone else was wrong.

Anyway, before we were married we found a great church that is non-denomination and its great. No lables=no judgement. Not always and God has worked on my heart and acceptance of other religions. Not one is the perfect one.

On my journey, I still felt like maybe I wasn't really saved. I thought I must be, but I didn't feel like I was. I now know feeling don't really matter, it is the facts that matter. The fact is I know Jesus is the son of God and he came to save my sins. How do I explain that to my children?? I tell them that he died so we can go to Heaven, but also he can take our mean hearts and make them sweet. Kind of like the Grinch. Speaking of the Grinch...I was reading this blog and she seemed so joyful and talked about Jesus and living in his love. I was like that is great but how. I emailed her and she was so kind to email me back. I remember times where I felt like I was losing it and how can I raise these children that God gave me and not totally screw them up like I was. I was in bed praying one August morning in 2007 that God would love them through me because I couldn't and I didn't feel like I had a lot of love to give. They were also waking me up very early and I don't do early. I prayed for God to fill me with his love, and I needed to FEEL it this time. I wanted to get my salvation issue solved once and for all. I am telling y'all once I prayed that I felt like the Grinch in his salvation moment. I felt my chest literally fill up with air, like it was a shriveled raisin into a balloon. Thank God he let me FEEL it because now I know. Its a wonderful feeling and while I know I am not perfect I am forgiven. I still yell at my kids every now and then, but I know I can ask forgiveness and I ask them as well. And you mother's out there, I would encourage you to ask your children to forgive you when you know you have wronged them. I don't feel like my parents did that, that what they did was okay because they were the grown-ups and its okay. They need to know that we need God just as they do, because he helps us all.

I hope y'all understood this okay. I am still learning and to not put other Christians on a pedestal. That came clear to me just around this Christmas season. It was another one of those times where I just thought either me or my children are out of control. I thought well I will just ask one of the children's leaders for advice on parenting. Then I remembered reading in Proverbs where God said anyone who asks for wisdom will be freely given wisdom. That was when I realized I didn't need another parenting book, I just needed to ask God. I think Bible studies are great but I also know that the Bible says not to add or take away and that the God who gave those authors wisdom will also give it to me.

I tell y'all, I am so glad the fog has lifted and God has given me clarity. I also know if you ask, God will give you the peace you need.

If you have any questions, feel free to email me athomeelise{at}yahoo{dot}com.

Hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday!!

Elise

On my list for 2009

In random order...apparently...
Sell all the things I have been collecting for Ebay, like this Pottery Barn duvet cover with shams.

Make more family memories. With Fisher of course. And maybe pound the pavement?? Whew...

Spend more time in The Word. The B-I-B-L-E, yes that's the book for me!!

Open my Etsy shoppe to pedal my wares.

Get around to starting and finishing a project. I have been marinating on this idea above for about a year and a half. What is the deal?!?!

Spend more time with the squirrels. Hee, hee!! We have so many in our backyard and we love to watch them scamper about looking for food and jumping from tree to tree.

Oh, and I would also like to learn to embroider and knit or crochet. And paper craft more and painting.

That's my list...What's on your's??

Christine

is the first name that doesn't suit me...Thankfully, my mom opted to call me Elise. No offense to all you Christine's out there. I think its a pretty name and a little old-fashioned(I love old-fashion names), but just not me.


Totally unrelated...this is Fisher playing guitar with Daddy. He always looks so curious with those eyebrows. He gets those from his Daddy. Other times, I think he looks like Jackson and my oldest brother.



Ted, my oldest brother...Fisher reminds me more of Ted's baby pictures and sometimes of one of his daughter's, but I cannot cough up one of those photos for y'all right now.

Tag, you're it!!

Cindy, at Home Simple Home tagged me, so I have to list 6 random things about myself.
Here goes:
1. I have a slight obsession with little plastic treat bags. I have them for every holiday. See photo above.
2. I have big pinky toenails.
3. I have two tattoos. A squirrel on my shoulder and my sorority letters in a wreath on my lower back. I'm guessing most of y'all would never have thought that!!
4. I have a bit of an obsession with numbers; in that I will take words on a billboard, add them together and say if I get the number 16 then I add the 1 and 6 together to get 7. I almost always add the numbers in 3's. Yes, I'm certifiable!!
5. I have 3 brothers and I am the baby of the first batch. My little brother has a different dad, but he and I and my second oldest brother favor more than the oldest. Except they are hotties and I am mildly cute.
6. My mom has 2 older brothers and was the 3rd and only girl. I have 2 older brothers and was the third and only girl. My brothers' lines of work were similar to the uncle they were in the birth order of. Oldest was in military, likewise, oldest uncle was also, second oldest self-employed, my mom has worked in direct sales-Tupperware, Mary Kay, and now Monavie, myself-Mary Kay, Southern Living at HOME, and I also sew for friends, etc. We are both creative. Oh, and the order of kids from her and her siblings were like mine and my brothers and our cousins-get what I am saying? Naturally, I thought I would have 2 boys and then a girl. God had other plans and messed my whole hypothesis up!!

Whew, guess you all know how weird, I mean, wonderfully made, I am now!! I have to tag 6 others. I will try to tag people I think haven't done this.
1. Amy from A little piece of Heaven
2. Emilie from Bunch of Scrap
3. Laura from Making a House a Home
4. Heather from Pursuing More Than Purls
5. Joyfullness from Joyfullness
6. Julie from Gingerbread Pumpkin

Celebrity Collage by MyHeritage Take 3

http://www.myheritage.com/collage

MyHeritage: Celebrity Collage - Roots - Blank family tree

Celebrity Collage by MyHeritage Take 2

MyHeritage: Celebrity Collage - Family history - Family reunion

Celebrity Collage by MyHeritage Take 1

My Chocolate Biography?

What Your Taste in Chocolate Says About You You are unique, creative, and fascinating.
You don't do what's expected of you.
You go for what's unknown and uncharted.

You are down to earth and lovable.
A true friend, you're very tolerant and understanding.
In fact, your friends' biggest problem is that they don't like each other!

You love to be the center of attention. You enjoy entertaining your friends.
You feel lost when no one is interested in you... You're too interesting to be ignored.

*So, what do you think? Especially the few that know me in real life. I can see a few of these, but I am not sure about the center of attention thing, although my parents couldn't find me one time when I was little, when they did find me I was on someone's car, singing into the antenna. Do any of you know how to get these little quiz's on your blog the right way? I tried to do what it says. Maybe the second sentence is true after all!!

***Edited to add: If you would like to take this quiz, you can find it here. If you figure out the right way to post it on your blog, please let the dumb(that would be me) know. Thanks!!