Coffee & Cupcakes

Photo Card

2011-12-15T09:23:00.001-08:00

Snowflake Dream Christmas

Shop Shutterfly for beautiful photo Christmas cards.

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My Sweet Cherry Pie....

2011-08-19T20:34:00.000-07:00

Some foods just make you want to sing.........

"She's my cherry pie
Cool drink of water, such a sweet surprise
Tastes so good, make a grown man cry
Sweet cherry pie, oh yeah

She's my cherry pie
Put a smile on your face ten miles wide
Looks so good, bring a tear to your eye
Sweet cherry pie"

I made some Mini-Cherry Pies from "WHAT YOU GIVE AWAY YOU KEEP." Go to her link in order to get a full photo tutorial and the recipe. By the way... hers are way prettier than mine. I for some reason didn't think to make sure my top crust was well pinched together with the bottom one.

So without further a due here are my yummy pies...

Ok so I totally got bored of making the mini ones, so with the rest of the filling I made a big one too!

HAPPY BAKING!

Galatians

2011-07-31T20:25:00.000-07:00

I'm super excited because I have completed Galatians Chapter two. It's in the memory bank now and I get to move on to Chapter 3. Chapter 3 is the hump for me. Every time I have set out to memorize all of Galatians I get stuck on Chapter 3 and give up... but not this time! This time I will achieve my goal because I have accountability and a friend to do this memorization challenge with!!

The last paragraph of Chapter 2 is my favorite:
"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. The life I know live in the flesh I live through faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law then Christ died for no purpose."
Gal 2:20-21

If you have joined this challenge with me please let me know how you are doing! :D

Kid friendly link up....

2011-07-28T19:40:00.000-07:00

So, life has been super busy lately. I haven't posted in a while because of it, but soon I will get something up here.

Anyway the reason for my internet silence is because we have had family over. My sister-in-law and her family came over and then we are keeping her middle son for a couple weeks. So I have been on kid-ventures trying to keep our nephew from boredom!

Anyone have suggestions on cheap or free things to do with him? I'm running out of ideas.

Link up with your kids crafts, games, of kid friendly activity.

I love my son!!!

2011-07-15T05:40:00.000-07:00

I have no idea where he got the idea for these moves, but he made me laugh... I hope he makes you laugh too!!

some 30 for 30

2011-07-11T06:54:00.000-07:00

So remembering to take a photo of your outfit everyday is pretty hard... more so it is hard to get a photo of your outfit before the baby destroys your clothes with spilt milk, food, boogers, drool, and the occasional pee. So because of that I only have 4 photos from the past I don't even know how many days. :P I'll have to go back and count it up later. Either way I hope you like some of them...

I really like this outfit... and that is my dog, Calvin

The top is an indian garment that you can wear 100 different ways. (shirts, skirts, and dresses)

I think I want to get some more silk scarfs... they are so fun!

Monday Memorization

2011-07-05T19:56:00.000-07:00

Sorry this is coming up late. Yesterday was a busy day, but a great day!! I started off with the usual Monday chores which is mainly cleaning up after a weekend of not wanting to do anything. So half way through the day we I decided to check my email and a friend from Okinawa messaged me saying to call because they were heading our way!! They were driving from Michigan to Texas to pick up their stuff from a storage unit. The hubby and I were thrilled. So I made dinner for them. BBQ Chicken and Macaroni and cheese... homemade. It was so wonderful to see them and fellowship with them. The conversations we had were such a blessing! So anyway... I didn't get to it.

I now have Galatians chapter one down really well! I don't think that it will leave the memory. I also got Galatians 2:1-6 and then after that it was rocky. I could tell you what it was about, but not verse by verse. So by next Monday I will have at least up to verse 14 done.

Tips on memorizing:

   1. Write your verse or verses out on index cards. Place them where you will see them a lot, ie: Bathroom mirror.

   2. Set a time goal. If you are memorizing a whole chapter then break it down. Set weekly deadlines for yourself. If you are a busy person then do one verse a week.

   3. Get a partner. Memorization is much easier when you have someone to do it with. It is just like training for a race. If you wake up in the morning and it is raining outside the only thing that is going to get you to run that day is that your running partner is standing out there waiting for you.

So if you have taken the challenge what verse or verses have you chosen to memorize?

Monday Memorization Challenge

2011-06-27T08:20:00.000-07:00

Mondays are such a drag most of the time, if not all the time. So what can I do to try to make that better? The best thing I can think of is time with the LORD. He is the only one that can put peace into my heart and calm my stress. Stress is a big thing for me, because if I get too stressed out I end up with heart palpitations. Not fun! So I have decided to do some scripture memorization every Monday! Monday Memorization.

For a really long time now, like a year, I have been trying to memorize all of Galatians, in the ESV. It all started when my pastor from Okinawa, Mark Oshman (check out his sermons on itunes), challenged the congregation with a list of things. One of them being to memorize one of Paul's epistles. I chose Galatians. I would get going on a good routine and then I would get caught up in the business of life and then forget about it. Only to try and start again later and have to start from the beginning because I'm rusty. So here I go again. Starting roughly from the beginning. I have Chapter 1 pretty much down, I tend to leave out a line sometimes, but other than that I'm doing pretty good. Now I need to get chapter 2 down just as well so I can continue on to chapter 3 and finally get past that. I have never gone past chapter 3... it like an evil hump I can't get over.

Now here is the challenge. Just to memorize a verse a week, if you would like to join me in memorizing one of Paul's epistles let me know so we can encourage one another in completing it!

Here is a verse that is a good one to start with if you are new to memorizing scripture... (which was also one of Mark Oshman's challenges)

"All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work."
2 Timothy 3:16-17

Here is the full list of challenges:

1. Meditate on and memorize 2 Tim 3:16-17
2. Begin reading the Bible one chapter per day
3. Commit to reading through the New Testament in the next 6 months
4. Commit to memorizing a chapter in the New Testament
5. Commit to reading the whole Bible in a year
6. Partner with someone and memorize an Epistle
7. Partner with someone and read through Systematic Theology
8. Do an in depth study on one of the books of the Bible.
9. Begin learning a biblical language
10. Enroll in Bible College or Seminary

here is another translation of 2 Tim 3:16-17
"All scripture is God-Breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work."

It's a Hot one!!!

2011-06-24T12:50:00.000-07:00

Today is actually not as hot as it has been, but still way too hot to do things like putt putt. It is 93 degrees with humidity! :P Needless to say it is shorts day!!!!

As soon as we got inside his little shirt came off right away. He hates wearing shirts.

Dresser makeover

2011-06-23T13:15:00.000-07:00

Ok so this is my first ever re-furnishing project. I was kind of disappointed of how it turned out. I really wanted that old vintage faux finish look to it, but when the sides and top were done I just got discouraged and didn't finish the drawers. I don't really want to do the top and sides all over again, but it just doesn't look like how I wanted it to come out.

I didn't take step by step photos, but I did do before and after. So here they are. Oh, and I got this dresser for $45!

BEFORE

AFTER

Not the brown I wanted. It was meant to be darker.

Should I keep going with the distressing on the drawers? Or re-do the sides to just be simple like the drawers?

Project 52: Nutella and a New Face

2011-06-23T12:06:00.000-07:00

Ben is a baby of many faces, I think he gets that from me. Today he gave me a funny smile that I have never seen before! It is so fun photographing him because I never quite know what I am going to capture.
Below is the wonderful new smile I am talking about...

Also a first today... Nutella! He loved it!

He also managed to get it all over his precious face!!

Here are some more fun faces that he makes....

This is his face he makes when he is concentrating and exerting energy... usually by trying to stand up!

And this one is his classic smile!! I love it! <3

Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies

2011-06-23T08:31:00.000-07:00

This is an adapted recipe from Paula Deen over at Foodnetwork.com

She makes her cookies from scratch and I used a box of red velvet cake mix.

Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies

1 box ok red velvet cake mix

2 eggs

1/2 cup of oil

preheat oven to 350 degrees

mix all ing together. make small balls of dough and place on a greased cookie sheet and flatten slightly. Bake for 10-12 min or until done.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 stick of butter, softened
1 package of cream cheese, softened
1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
2 C powdered Sugar
Sprinkles of your choice

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla together until smooth. Add the sugar and on low speed, beat until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy.

Spread on the bottom of a cookie and place another cookie on top. Squish a little so the cream goes to the ends and then roll in sprinkles!!

Don't waste your Life

2011-06-23T08:09:00.000-07:00

Amazing Grace

3 days of 30 for 30

2011-06-23T08:05:00.000-07:00

Life as a mom as most of you know is pretty hectic. When babies learn to crawl they are in to EVERYTHING!!! So for the past 3 days I have not been able to find the cord for my camera. My son managed to hide if under a table. So now that I have it in my possession again here are photos of the last 3 days (including today) of outfits for the remix challenge.

Pants are from Target, tank top is from AE, white blouse is from the BX

Awesome thing about this outfit is that the scarf is from Kenya!

I got these pants from Aeropostale for $6!!!

this shirt is from Victorias Secret... same with the chain link bra!

This scarf I got in London at the airport because my pants were falling down and I needed something to keep them up. Belts there were 95 lbs and up which is ridiculous for a belt!! So I got the scarf for 15 lbs and put it through my belt loops and tied it. It worked great!

the shirt is from Express and I think the skirt is from Forever 21, not 100% sure because it has been hiding in my drawer for like 6 years. lol

By the way isn't my son just super adorable! He is getting really big too! He is going to be taller than me by the 5th grade! I'll have to stand on a stool when I'm mad at him.

I despise Monday's

2011-06-20T22:12:00.000-07:00

This morning I woke up energized and determined! Monday is usually my busiest cleaning day due to the laziness over the weekend. So first thing was first, I brewed some coffee and had some breakfast, then it was off to tackle the pile of dishes I left myself. I managed to get a load in the dishwasher and started before Ben woke up. We did our normal morning routine.... sit on the potty, put a fresh clean diaper on him, and warm up some cereal with apples for him. That delightful cup of coffee did not prepare for what was to come later on.

10 am rolls around and it is time to put Ben down for a nap. It is easy to tell when it is nap time because he starts to get whiny and throws his head backward in a mini protest. Joe was home so he took him and put him down for me. Which was wonderful. Then about 15 min or so later Joe had to go to school. As soon as he left Ben woke up and it was chaos the rest of the day. That wonderful motivated feeling I had when I woke up vanished and was replaced by stress.

He was on and off all day.

He would be happy for about 5 min

...and then cry again.

The longest stretch of happiness was the 20 min it took him to enjoy his 1/2 a PB&J sandwich I gave him. He didn't take a normal nap at his normal time and by the time Joe came home I was in serious need of a break from baby. Plus I had to make dinner anyway.

So off to the kitchen and it was one disaster after another. You ever have one of those days where nothing seems to go right?

These look awesome right? WRONG!

The refused to cook all the way through and were doughy

What is in the pot you ask?

They were supposed to be hard boiled eggs, but they didn't cook long enough. :(

without the egg the salad was boring So dinner was a FAIL.

OH, and the lemonade I just got from Target was all moist inside!!!

This is what Ben does daily... takes things off the bookshelf!!!

So, what does hair, makeup, and outfit look like at the end of a day like that? I like to call it.....

HOT MESS MOMMY!!

Please tell me I am not the only one who has totally ruined dinner before and accomplished virtuously nothing I sought out to do. I want to hear about your Monday horror stories!

30 for 30

2011-06-19T13:57:00.000-07:00

So I am a little behind in posting outfits. Yesterday I posted Fridays outfit so today you get yesterdays and todays.

we have horrible lighting in our house and I have no idea what kind of weird face that is I am making.

these heels hurt!!! But they are cute

got to love fake pearls. :D I have real ones, but I don't want the baby to break them.

I love these boots!

Here is my bundle of joy!!

30 for 30

2011-06-18T10:06:00.000-07:00

Last time I tried to do 30 for 30 it was an epic fail. I totally gave up like after a week. This time I really am going to commit to it along with no shopping for new clothing items the whole time! So Here are my choices and my first outfit...

Father's Day

2011-06-18T09:32:00.000-07:00

This Father's Day is very special because it is Joe's FIRST one!!! Our lil man is almost 8 months already!!

Yesterday Ben and I took Joe to the "Man's toy store" also known as Lowes. Joe needs some tools for his maintenance classes next semester so what a perfect gift to give to who I think is the world's BEST Father!! Though I am pretty partial to the guy!! So we got Joe a new ratchet set and he was eager to find them a new home in his tool chest as soon as we got back. And of course, so was Ben......

And then of course after working hard with the tools it was play time....

You can see Calvin peeping from below.

See the joy in Ben's face! He loves this.

Ok So I was also really excited to make Joe some gifts from Ben. To me homemade gifts are the best!

I hit up the blogging world to find ideas and this is what stuck out to me the most...

It is a box of Hero Supplies from Oh Happy Day !

Here is what my package looks like...

I used Spinach Artichoke chips from Archer Farms (found at Target).

These are yummy York Peppermint pieces

Joe's favorite chocolate bar... White Chocolate with Coconut from Lindt

Jerky. lol

Lemon Heads

Cream Soda... Jones soda

Last, but not least these are some yummy Cinnamon Pretzels I found on Joy in my Kitchen's blog.

I also ordered him a card from Tiny Prints...

This is the design I used. There are ton's more!!! You get to use your own photos and customize the wording used! I love Tiny Prints!!

Hopefully Joe enjoys his hero supplies and card as much as I enjoyed putting them together. I'll let you all know what he thinks after tomorrow when I give it to him!

What are you doing for Father's Day??

Founder of the Remix

2011-06-13T16:18:00.000-07:00

So I was bored and was testing out some new brushes that I downloaded from Deviantart.com. Kendi I hope you are not mad that I took your photo. I was going to put this on your page so you can have it, but I can't so here you go. I don't know why you are crying... I guess just so I can test the tears brush. Hope you like it.

here is Kendi's blog. It is all about remixing your wardrobe. I challenge you to take the 30x30 challenge.
Check it out here To see the original photo click here

Africa day 5- Joe Myers

2011-06-10T20:03:00.000-07:00

May16

It was our first day at the hanger. We had a safety briefing for about an hour, and a tour of the hanger for about two hours. Our guide for the hanger took us to every person’s office in the building and announced that we were there. After about the third time it became funny to us. We didn’t know where to go at first and our tour guide being so polite let us walk in front. We soon figured out that we would enter every door. By 10AM we were finishing up our tour, and heading to the briefing room for tea and the daily devotional. Teatime is a tradition at AIM AIR that takes priority over everything else. It’s one of those cultural things. They all call the tea Chai but it is just tea bags and milk.

After this new and amazing teatime and devotional we finally hit the floor. I helped a young man also named Joseph change the breaks and tires on a Caravan. And we did some hydraulic work on the DC3. I know it doesn’t sound like much but it truly was an exciting day for me to get my hands dirty again. I remembered my early years in Christ under the belly of an F-15, delighting in my work because I know my Lord. Even when stresses at work were high I found rest in my tasks because I knew the Holy. It was a great reminder to me of how easy it is to forget our early years and our first passions to serve the Lord. How can I not perform my work to the highest degree? I am ALIVE in Christ! The very thought of knowing I am born into the family of God should suspend all my worries. The best thing about our work at AIM Air is that we worked among brothers in Christ of another nation. Again this happens everywhere, but I was awestruck by God’s provision for his people in every nation. It was a great encouragement to work alongside my African brothers, knowing our work is sending the gospel to the edges of Africa. The call to every tribe tongue and nation may look like an enormous number on paper, but it is attainable in our generation.

As the day closed out Gregg and I decided to take the Matatu back to Mayfield. Another exciting ride, as our driver cut off six lanes of traffic by going 90% into the roundabout. Cars and busses tried to bully him away, but he stood fast with less than inches between him and a massive charter bus he commandeered the roundabout. Our small van cheered as the driver made it successfully to the inside lane. A few minutes later we arrived near Mayfield and closed our day.

Africa Day 3 & 4

2011-06-04T06:23:00.000-07:00

Sorry if you have been waiting for the rest of our days. I want to give you enough time to read each post before adding more since my journal is a bit lengthy. Love you guys and thank you for taking the time to read about our trip.

May 14,

Today we had another briefing, this time on healthy living. It is mostly their way of introducing newcomers to the area without overwhelming them. It was a bit slow considering this is not our first time in a different country, however it was how they do things and we need to be able to conform to different operations. Latter that afternoon, one of the wives (Cammy) took us to a market to show us a bit of Nairobi. The market was made of plywood stands covered in tarps and blankets to keep the sun out. The narrow walkways created heavy traffic throughout the market. This was good for ship-owners to catch the attention of slow moving people. I used my opportunity to practice my Swahili; it was quite fun and plenty entertaining for the locals.

Before we entered the market we noticed a man scoping out our vehicle after we had left it. I could only guess he saw me using Jessica’s camera in the parking lot, and wanted to see if it was still in the car. He followed us up the walk way and we lost sight of him as we entered the market. Gregg had spotted the man both next to the car, and while we were in the market. Gregg was walking behind us and noticed the man practically breathing down his neck. He stopped and looked at the man and watched as he changed direction and continued down another avenue. A few minutes later, the man was back. This time he had exchanged his hat, and put on a jacket. Gregg told us to stop, and before he could turn back around the man was gone. The popular way to steel in Nairobi is to cut pockets with a razor blade. If you’re good the victim almost never notices enough it. I caught him to my left through the narrow corridor’s and hollow shops. After that he was gone again.

Below is a photo of the market we walked through. The man on the right wearing a baseball cap with the toothpick in his mouth is the guy that was following us trying to get our backpack that the camera was in.

No matter what we do in Nairobi it is impossible to blend in. Primarily because our skin color is practically a glowing beckon of “rob this guy”. The best way to blend in is by learning the language. This tells people that you know about them, and that you have spent significant time amongst them. I got quiet a few laughs bartering with people. They asked for more money because they know I can afford it. That’s when I laid it on them. I don’t actually have a job in the U.S. I’m a college student sent by other people with jobs to give them the good news of Jesus. Often times the response was perplexity.

May 15,

We went to church with the Moffit family at Africa Inland Church. It was an awesome day to be there too. The leadership was sending off one of their own to study at a seminary in east Kenya. When the service started they wanted everyone who was there for the first time to introduce themselves. We took notes from the first lady do introduce herself. The blanket statement is (Name, I belong/love Jesus, I am from ______, and I bring greetings from _____ Chruch). I wondered what would happen in the U.S. if newcomers were asked to introduce themselves. I think people would feel called out and offended, but the culture here wants to welcome people and genuinely know who is with them. The preaching reminded me of the Harbor in Okinawa, not because Mark Oshman sounds as cool as a man from Africa, but because the culture challenges their believers with tough love. The young man leaving gave a message on 2Tim 4:6-7. He talked about how Paul ran his race, and the characteristics it takes to complete it.

I was reminded of Matt Chandler’s sermon in Chicago. One of his common and frequent rants on Paul he said, “I don’t care what you have done, you don’t have a thing on Paul. This guys is nearly untouchable when it comes to living out your faith. You can whip him with 39 and his response is “I delight in sharing Christ’s suffering.” You can throw him in jail, “I’ll convert all your guards and most of your prisoners.” You can even kill him, “To die is gain.” This guy is untouchable.”

The young pastor gave a powerful and challenging sermon, and I am excited for his future studies, and ministries.

Afterward we shared chai with the head Pastor who went to seminary in the states. Have you ever talked to someone and not known what to say? That was us having chai with the Pastor. We ate Lunch at the Moffits house, and talked with them about AIM Air. Mostly it was guys talking about airplanes, and we all know how that goes. But we did get a glimpse of what it looks like to raise a family in Nairobi.

- Joe

Africa Day 1&2

2011-05-27T20:46:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,
This is Joe Myers, Jessica's husband.
Over the next week or so I will be posting my journal of our trip to Nairobi Kenya. Quick background: We partnered with AIM Air for my college internship for Mission Aviation.
We want to thank you all for sharing in our endeavors, for your support and prayers. God really has shown us amazing things this year, and you have all been a great encouragement to us.

May 12: We arrived late Thursday night in Nairobi Kenya. We were met by Jim, and Randy from AIM Air, who took us to the Mayfield house, an enroot complex owned by AIM who offer housing and three meals a day for missionary travelers. We were scared that Ben (our 6 month old) would not sleep but he ended up sleeping better than any of us. Friday morning we woke up in time for 7:30 breakfast. It's hard to miss, due to the man who walks the halls clanging his triangle.

May 13: After breakfast we met with Cammy (an AIM wife) to review the weeks itinerary she had put together to help us get started, and some culture need to knows for our success. We have been going through AIM Air’s orientation and meeting many missionary families. We are staying at Mayfield, a transit guesthouse owned by AIM. There are people coming and going for short and long periods of time. We have met many remote missionaries, in town for a break or for supplies. Gregg (my good friend from school, also doing his internship) and I took public transportation (Matatu) to find the hanger. A Kenyan named James who works at Mayfield guided us. The public transportation is mini-vans outfitted with as many seats as possible, and loaded to the max with people. Many times there were not enough seats, but that didn’t deter the doorman from cramming more people in.

The doorman is a partner with the driver. His job is money exchange and to communicate to the driver that he needs to pull over and let someone out or in by tapping a coin on the window. He is very aware of everything going on, a woman behind me reached over me and touched him with one finder, not a poke or even a scratch, a simple light touch. Instantly the man tapped rapidly on the window and the driver barreled through three lanes of traffic to reach the next stop. When you hear of a city without traffic law enforcement Nairobi Kenya must be at the top of the list. Police men are posted at busy roundabouts on foot, armed with a small club. If they choose to stop someone and ticket them, they get in that car and ride with that person to the police station. On they way their goal is to talk the driver into paying them off so that the police officer can pocket the money and the driver gets away without a ticket. The highway, now under construction, has no lanes, and often drivers will take the off road rout to get one more car ahead. Defensive drivers have a life expectance of about 30 minutes. After that drivers are in one of three places: heaven, hell, or born again into offensive driving.

James also took us to the slums, where over one million people live in tin built shacks, with filthy living conditions, in a lower than poverty environment. Every house is connected to the next following a narrow dirt path usually washed out by the rain. Small shops are set along the walkway, to sell daily supplies of food and other things. Also they have radio, and shoe repairs, and people sell used cloths that have been shipped in from other countries. I have not reached a caliber in my writing or language that can describe this area. Pictures would be useless in trying to bring justice to the slums of Nairobi, and I felt ashamed at the depths of my being for simply walking through and knowing I did not have to stay. After 20 minutes of walking we had arrived at a gate. A door opened and we walked through to see children running and playing. James had taken us to his Church that is also a school. I don’t have pictures, because James instructed me to leave the camera back at the guesthouse. A small wooden building and multiple smaller tin buildings, and boxcar building surrounded a dirt yard with only 2 slides to play on. To the right of the yard is the cement framework of a new building that has been in work for the last five years. Though the slums look and sound like a horrific place, some people take full advantage of its convenience. Yes, I said convenience. The slums were started from people who traveled from out of town to work in the city for the week and return to their family for the weekend. Often these were people who owned farms and had family or employees to work their land during the week. To them the slums are rent free housing, with everything they need at the very reasonably rate. After a while people who lived in the city moved into the slums because there is not many who can loose a job and financially recover. Just over the last five years Kenya has discovered payment plans for things like cars and houses. They don’t have recovery plans like bankruptcy, so if you loose a job or something drastic happens in life, you just move to the slums in order to stay alive.

This is Mayfield where we stayed.

On our way to Africa

2011-05-09T19:40:00.000-07:00

It was 2am on Friday as we packed up our car got our baby snuggled into his car seat with a warm blanket and headed out to Dallas to catch our first flight of our summer trip. Once we got on the high way we drove for 35 min before seeing another car on the road, just us and the semi-trucks. We got to the terminal in plenty of time and Ben did great on the airplane!

Our first stop, Burlington, Vermont to visit with Joe's mom & step-dad. I finally got to see the town that Joe went to high school in and see his old room. Ben made friends with their cat, Charlie right away. That night his mom fixed us steaks to celebrate Joe passing his classes and enjoyed some time sifting through a memory box she kept for Joe. He had some pretty funny hair-do's back when he was a little tike.

Saturday came and we were going to get mother's day pedicures, but the car was messed up. So instead we made some yummy breakfast while Ben napped and the boys piled sand bags around the back of the house (they had record breaking floods this month). After breakfast (around 10:45) I took my first anti-Malaria pill. At 11 I started feeling sick, 12:30 I was having some serious pain in my stomach and at 1 I started vomiting.

Joe's parents planned a barbecue so that friends of the family could say hello to Joe and meet Ben and I. So, people were showing up around 3, and by this time I was lying on the floor in his parents room which is just across the hall from the bathroom. One of his mom's friends does Reiki and asked if she could work with me. I didn't know much about it so I just said it was ok. She started by praying to mother & father god. So I instantly started to pray too, to the real God. I prayed that He be glorified somehow through this even if it is by me getting worse. She did calm me down with her gentle voice and soft touch and I did get worse. I got feverish, I had cold chills, I could not keep anything down, and I was starting to get dehydrated. By 8pm I could not take the pain and the dry heaving anymore and Joe took me to the emergency room.

At the emergency room I was hooked up to an IV and given medicine for nausea, a bag of saline, and some anti-inflamitories for the pain. I was also ordered to stop taking the medication. So I am going to Africa with just bug spray and garlic pills for mosquito protection. I felt a whole lot better by the time the bag was emptied. By the time they discharged me I was starting to feel a bit sick again. They sent me home with 2 more Nausea pills and I took one when we got back to his parents. I drank a big glass of gatorade and had a couple bites of a bagel.

While we were gone Ben had 3 huge fits and had refused to eat a bottle. He had calmed down and was a sleep when we got back, so I waited until after I got settled before I took him from Grandma. He was so happy that Joe and I were home and he slept in-between us all night. I threw up 2 more times in the middle of the night and I was still pretty uneasy all Sunday.

At about 3am Joe woke up feeling nauseous and couldn't go back to sleep until about 6. He slept almost all day Sunday. So my first Mother's day was a recovery day for us.

Monday we woke up early had some coffee, packed up the car, and drove back to the airport. It was a short hour and 20 min flight to New York. We got picked up by a driver and he took us to Pearl River where AIM's United States headquarters is. We had cold hamburgers and freezer-burned fries for lunch and I was still feeling a bit sick. After lunch our other team member Gregg showed up and had a tour of the facility and met the people we have been coordinating with through phone and emails. The facility here is beautiful and our room has a crib in it for Ben! The people are pleasant and they lent us the community car to drive to Target to get a couple things we forgot to pack.

Tomorrow is our first day of Orientation and training. It is going to be a very busy day. Ben is going to be in the nursery so we are not distracted from important information. Hopefully he does not give the care taker too much trouble.

Ok, time for sleep.

A Moment of Peace

2011-04-15T05:24:00.000-07:00

God is good! Two nights ago Ben woke up 4 or 5 times and was a bit cranky yesterday due to teething. I cried to God to give me rest. That is exactly what he did!! I put Ben down last night at 7pm and he didn't wake up until 4am to nurse and went back to sleep. It is 7:22 and he is still sleeping! So I get to enjoy a moment of morning silence with a cup of coffee and my bible. Which is precisely what I am about to grab right now. Just thought I would throw out this little tid bit of praise to God for answering a tearful prayer!

WE MADE IT!! PRAISE GOD!!!!

2011-04-10T20:33:00.000-07:00

Thank you all so much for your prayers and your financial support. I am happy to say that met our goal and we raised the money needed for our whole family to go to Kenya!! :D So exciting! Thank you so much everyone to help make that happen!

For a couple days I thought I might not be going because there was another girl in our group who came from a church that only sent out their missionaries going on missions from their church directly. So she was shunned from raising support from her home church, therefore she was not going to be able to raise the money necessary to go. So I was going to give her all the support money for me to go so that she would be able to go. Two days ago she backed out and decided not to go until next year. So I'm going!!! Sorry if that didn't make a whole lot of sense, it is late and I am tired.

So one HUGE PRAYER REQUEST!!!!! I can't find my passport. It is lost somewhere in our apartment, unless I accidentally threw it away. So, if I do not find it by the end of tomorrow I need to apply for another one and have it rushed. :/ So prayer for me to find it, or for a new one to get here in time.

HUGE PRAISE! I have found, or rather God placed in my life, a very wise woman who is on fire for Christ to be my Mentor! :D I am finally going to have some good solid fellowship with another woman! I have not had this since we left Okinawa so I am so happy! Thank you to all who were praying about that for me!

well, I am going to hopefully get some good sleep tonight. Tomorrow I have to do some laundry first thing in the morning and help get Joe packed up and send him off to Chicago for the Gospel Coalition Conference.

Project 52: Dog Food

2011-04-07T19:56:00.000-07:00

I sat Ben down on the ground with a couple of his toys, fed the dog, and started de-cluttering our house. It was a good night. Ben was happily playing by himself and not making a peep. I took a break from cleaning and looked down on the floor where I left him to find him playing in the dog's bowl. I couldn't help but to crack up laughing and grab my camera and my hubby.

Luckily I have a very well behaved dog who loves Ben! So instead of getting food aggressive and mean, he just ate around Ben.

Zulilly.com

2011-04-07T07:40:00.000-07:00

This site is so awesome. When I first signed up I thought I would never use it. Until today! Charlie Banana cloth diapers were 40% off and Joe and I were talking about switching to Cloth diapers for Ben. They are so much money, but in the long run it is way cheaper. So I bought 8 cloth diapers that were one-size-fits all!!

So if you want discounted cloth diapers, baby clothes, maternity, and fun things like purses and such Zulilly.com is the place to shop.

You have to be invited so here it is... I am inviting you to shop Zulilly...

Click here for the invite

Pay Pal donations now Tax Deductible!!!!!

2011-04-04T10:06:00.000-07:00

We got a phone call the other day from the AIM representative who is helping us put our trip together and told us that they will make sure all donations are tax-deductible. So if you have or are planning to support us financially using the paypal tool you get a tax-deductible receipt too! All we have to do is send a list of the names, addresses, and amounts along with a check from us and they will send out receipts to every individual who is supporting us! So if that was a worry of yours... WORRY NO MORE!!! We are so excited to be able to provide that for you!

On another mission note...

I am so excited about this trip! The amazing thing is that ever since I became a Christian I have had a burning heart to go to Africa! I have known that one day I would step foot on African soil, I just didn't know when. And who was to know that I was going to be taking a baby with me! I have no idea what to expect or what it is going to be like at all. This is my chance to find out what full time mission work will look like and what my roll looks like.

One thing I do know about what I will be doing is documentary. As much as Ben will allow me to do anyway. I will be photographing our trip and what we do... all except our team flying around. I wont be with them during that part. I'm also hoping that one of the women out there will braid my hair for me. That way I don't get lice, plus I think it would be fun! :D

I am also thinking about creating some calendars full of photos from our trip. I may sell them for money for a future mission trip or to donate to somewhere.

The part I am most excited about though is to see how God moves out there and to see if Africa is where God may use us full time. We will see!! Is there a permanent move to Africa in the future for the Myers family? Only time will tell. :D

Coke-a-Cola Chicken and Chipotle Sweet Potatoes

2011-04-04T08:51:00.000-07:00

This meal was sooo yummy!

I got the Cola Glazed Baked Wings recipe from Jaden at Steamy Chicken She got it from a woman named Virginia Willis

Here is a photo of Jaden's Chicken....

The Potatoes I crafted up after tasting a frozen mix I had purchased from the grocery store a few months ago. I thought to myself... I could make that. So I tried it. The verdict... I went a little crazy with the Chipotle spice so next time I wont put so much, but it was still sooo yummy!!!

Chipotle Sweet Potatoes

ingredients:

2 Sweet potatoes
1 Med Onion
1 Can of Black beans
1 Can of Corn
Mrs Dash Southwest Chipotle seasoning to taste (start with a T)
1/4 C EVOO
juice from 1/2 a lime

Chop potatoes into small cubes. Think O'brien potatoes. Dice up the Onion. I like to cut up my onion into small pieces, because I don't like biting into big chunks of onion. Do what you prefer here.

Heat oil in a skillet over Med-high heat. Add onion, potatoes, and seasoning and saute until tender. Add the beans, corn, and lime juice and continue to cook until hot all the way through.

Hope you enjoy!

Inspirations for upcoming projects...

2011-03-30T20:24:00.000-07:00

Now to just find out where I can acquire the items I need. :D

Anyone have suggestions on where to find cheap or free used wood ?

My Son...

2011-03-30T18:48:00.000-07:00

I can hardly believe that my son is already 5 months old!!! He is getting so big and so strong! I'm so proud of all that he can do now! He sits up on his own, he plays with toys in the bath tub, he babbles, he laughs, smiles, and gives kisses!!! He is so much fun to play with and is so interested in everything. He is also eating food now. He likes carrots, apples, peas, and oatmeal with cinnamon! He does not like avocados or yellow squash. I love him so much and feel so blessed to have such a wonderful baby boy! Here are some photos of him!

Face Hug!!!

Cupcakes and Tea??

2011-03-27T13:19:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know my blog is called COFFEE and cupcakes, but I just made some homemade Chai Tea and could not resist! I also made some yummy chocolate cupcakes. I used a box to make them... I wanted to spend more of my time practicing the decoration portion of cupcakes so I opted out of making the cupcakes homemade. They were good, but I think I could make better ones. Next time I make cupcakes I am going to make these Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ones from Annie's Eats

Don't these look soooo YUMMY!!!! I can't wait to try them!

So anyway here is the recipe for homemade Chai Tea...

Chai

1/2 C instant tea
1/2 C non-fat dry milk
1/4 C powdered coffee creamer
1/2 C white or brown sugar
1 T instant vanilla pudding mix
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t ginger
1/4 t nutmeg
1/4 t ground cloves
1/4 t ground cardamom
1/8 t black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large ziploc bag. Make sure bag is sealed well and roll over the bag with a rolling pin to combine all ingredients well and crush to a fine powder for better mixing results with hot water.

Store in a re-sealable container.

To make the drink: Mix 3 T with 1 cup boiling water! :D Enjoy!

Hope you enjoy!

Send Us Out

2011-03-26T08:03:00.000-07:00

Thank you for all your prayers as Joe and I prepare for our internship in Africa. I have placed a paypal button for an easy way to support us. Donating this way WILL BE TAX-DEDUCTIBLE!!!!!!

Thank you again for prayerfully considering sending our family out on this mission trip. We are so excited to learn what it will be like as full time missionaries and what that might look like for our family in the future.

Getting married soon??

2011-03-08T08:35:00.000-08:00

My good friend Kailey Larson does beautiful graphic designs for wedding save the date cards, invitations, & thank you notes! She has a shop on Etsy where you can view and purchase some of her cards/postcards. Click here to check it out

With Kailey taking care of your wedding paper needs you could get announcements like this...

Also if you want something custom designed for you wether it is wedding stuff or personalized business cards or promotion cards check out THIS page to see how you can get a 20% discount just for going "liking" her facebook page

Frames

2011-02-28T08:49:00.000-08:00

I went to Hobby Lobby and to Micheals for some creative inspiration. I picked up some blank frames, a bunch of paper, some embellishments, and some letters (I have horrible penmanship).

I didn't get a before photo of the wood frame, but I did of the press board ones.

This was really fun to do. Joe thinks I should make and sell these. I may just open up an online shop at Etsy!

here are all three...

Close up of the Monkeying Around frame...

Close up of the Lion frame...

and the wooden Fun frame...

If I made these to sell... would you buy one?

One Word

2011-02-14T09:15:00.000-08:00

Have you ever tried to write an entire paper on one single word? Well this morning as I sat down to my cup of coffee and checked my facebook page I noticed I had a message from a good friend. I opened it up and it was a message asking for homework help. She asked a few other friends of ours and myself to write a paragraph defining the word wisdom. I immediately hit reply and started writing only to realize that it is a lot harder to do than I first thought. To define a word like wisdom in only one paragraph is impossible! You could write an entire paper on the word.

This reminded me of a sermon from my old pastor, Mark Oshman, in Okinawa. One night he was preaching he told a story about his college days. In one of his classes his teacher gave the assignment to write an 10 page paper on the word amen. He at first thought that was an impossible task, but as he began to study the word, in preparation for his paper, he realized that it was not impossible to write 10 pages, however he found it was difficult to not go over 10 pages.

Another man I highly respect, Louie Giglio, preached a sermon on meditating on a single word for an entire day. Sounds ridiculous to think of only one word all day, but totally plausible. He used the example of the word BE. He went into how God is TO Be. We say things like, "Will you be there?" As in will your existence, your body, be present at the location in question. The dictionary defines Be as...

"1.to exist or live: Shakespeare's “To be or not to be” is the ultimate question.
2.to take place; happen; occur: The wedding was last week.
3.to occupy a place or position: The book is on the table.
4.to continue or remain as before: Let things be"

God is existence, he takes places everywhere that one can occupy and then some, he remains as he has from the beginning. He is unchanging. (JB 23:13)

Anyway now that I am done rambling here is what I wrote:

"Wisdom is something that only old men with long white beards have. Not really, but when I was a child that is what I thought it was. Now that I am older I realize just how complex this word is. To define it with all of it's ramifications is impossible in only one paragraph; but I can scratch the surface in saying that wisdom is the knowledge of what is true in conjunction with just judgment and discernment. A wise person uses discernment to figure out wether the people around them are speaking truth to them, or not; also using it to justly judge their own actions as well as others actions. Wisdom is the truth inside of you that keeps you from doing wrong and causes you to accumulate more wisdom for,"the wise lay up knowledge..." (Prv 10:14) Only a fool claims to know everything. The most important thing to know about wisdom is that, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight." (Prv 9:10)."

How would you define Wisdom?

Love is a verb

2011-02-08T21:10:00.000-08:00

I just finished the book 'Love is a Verb' by Gary Chapman. I got the audio book for free from christianaudio.com a few months back. It was a cute book. Can't say I learned much from it,but I did enjoy listening to it.

The book was a compilation of peoples love stories. Some of the stories were about how a couple learned to love each other again after having such a horrible relationship and some were about people setting themselves aside to show love to impossible people and blossoming into a beautiful friendship by doing so.

All throughout the book there was one common theme among all of the stories... Love is not a feeling it is something you do! It is sacrificial actions to show someone that they matter to you. You cannot just say, " I love you" to someone and not back it up with actions. If you do that no one would ever believe you.

A lot of the stories about the married couples made me appreciate my relationship with my husband even more! I'm so glad that we are loving and understanding of one another! I am so blessed to have him in my life!

30 X 30 Challenge

2011-02-03T21:55:00.000-08:00

I found this 30x30 challenge over at Kendi Everyday and decided to try it out! Basically what you do is pick out 30 pieces of clothing and mix and match them for 30 days. Accessories and overcoats don't count in the 30, but shoes and sweaters do. The deal is no buying any clothes for the 30 days of the challenge. It teaches you to shop your own closet before you say the classic saying, "I have nothing to wear!" Honestly it is also getting me to actually do my hair and makeup and getting me to get dressed. A lot of the time I just hang out with Ben in my pajama pants, so not attractive. (sorry Joe)

Also most people who do this challenge post a photo of their outfit daily. I don't want to fill my blog up with this challenge so I will post my outfits once a week. One other challenge I have for myself is wearing dresses and skirts in 20 degree weather. :D Wish me luck!

here are my picks....

Aim Air

2011-01-30T20:09:00.000-08:00

This summer the family is going on a vision trip to Nairobi with Aim Air. It is a school requirement for Joe to go on a vision trip with a mission aviation organization for at least 10 days. It is a way for Joe and I to get an idea of what life would be like in the mission field. It is a really exciting opportunity for both of us. During this trip Joe will get his first try at flying! I will be able to experience what my role looks like as the wife of a missionary pilot. We had our interview with Letourneau's representative for Aim Air last week and I think it went really well. She told me that for a day I can join the media crew in Nairobi! I'm so excited about that because photography a passion of mine and I have decided to finish my degree in it!

Anyway I wanted to post their video so you all can see what Aim Air is all about and maybe start praying about the possibility of supporting us or just praying for us during our trip. Either way enjoy the video.....

Four Stories, One Heart from AIM On-Field Media on Vimeo.

Bible Reading Plan...

2011-01-29T20:52:00.000-08:00

It is the new year which means it is the time for new resolutions, or goals. One of my goals this year is to read through the bible in a year. I have never actually done this before. I have started many times, but never actually finished. It is 2011 and I again have decided to read through the bible. This time I will be following one of the Navigators bible reading plans.

This is the one I chose.

The Discipleship Journal Bible Reading Plan

They have a couple others if you want to check it out here. Bible Reading Plans

So I hope to get up every morning with my bible and a cup of coffee to enjoy some quiet time before the family wakes up. Though some days the baby decides to get up extra early and does not permit me to do this, in which case I will have to wait for his nap time. Friends if you are reading this blog please keep me accountable! :D

Fun with Modge Podge and Paint

2011-01-29T20:23:00.000-08:00

My son's name is Ben. I found these letters at Hobby Lobby and was really excited

to decorate them for the nursery! I got the paper at Michael's.

I still have a little bit of sanding to do, but I was really eager to post the photos!

Let me know what you think of them.

Newbie

2011-01-12T09:30:00.000-08:00

I follow quite a few blogs from some amazing women. Each time I sit down at my laptop with a cup of hot coffee I think to myself, "I should start my own blog" The only problem is I could never figure out what to blog about. I finally decided to just start blogging about everything pertaining to my life as a mother, wife, and child of God and hope that over time I can make this more specific.

So any suggestions out there on how to get this thing started is more than welcome!