10 Ways to Form a Greater Bond With Your Kids

I have two sons who live with me, ages 8 and 6. When my oldest was first born, I was a stay-at-home Mom, which allowed me many chances to form a tight bond with him. I am thankful for that because now, even though I now work, I still have that solid foundation to stand on. Unfortunately, my full-time job and school do not allow for much time with my boys. Weekends are about the only chance I really get to have quality time with them, and even then, sometimes our schedules are so full that time is limited. 

I have had the privilege of being off work the past couple weeks for Christmas break. During that time, I came up with a list of ten ways that I can make more time for my children and strengthen our bond. I figured others could benefit from these also, so each Saturday for ten weeks, I will be sharing one way that you can form a greater bond with your kids. I hope you all will enjoy these and take them to heart. Each one holds special meaning for me and my children, and I hope they do the same for you and your kids as well.

Blessed by Him, 

Adrienne

2013 New Year's Commitment

Ahhh, the time of year where we spend countless hours trying to come up with the perfect New Year's Resolution. Do I want to quit smoking? Lose weight? Quit drinking? Be nicer to people? The list goes on...and on...and on...

Once we figure out what we want to work on, we may stay faithful to it for a few days, a month, maybe even a couple months. Then life gets in the way. We smoke that cigarette, eat that candy bar, drink that one beer, snap at that one person. Before we know it, our resolution is forgotten.

That's why, for the second year in a row, I have decided to make a commitment; a faithful decision to live out certain things this year, regardless of situation or circumstance.

Below is my list of six commitments for 2013.

1. I COMMIT to gaining a healthier lifestyle by exercising more, eating healthier foods, and limiting my sweet treats.

2. I COMMIT to being the hands and feet of Jesus on a DAILY basis, and teaching my children to do the same.

3. I COMMIT to being a woman of integrity in everything that I do.

4. I COMMIT to being a Proverbs 31 wife by showing my husband unconditional love each day, and making him proud to call himself my husband.

5. I COMMIT to being a Proverbs 31 mother by making sure my children hear God’s word each morning before school and each night before bed, by praying for them every day, and by teaching them about God's love, mercy, and grace at every opportunity.

6. I COMMIT to making the care and maintenance of my current friendships more of a priority, and to also develop and maintain new friendships.

If you haven’t already, I encourage each of you to make a commitment for 2013. Remember, a commitment is something that you are devoted to, something that you will work on all year long! Leave a comment and let me know what your commitments are. I can’t wait to read them!

Blessed by Him,

Adrienne

Goodbye 2012!

Fa la la la la, it's time to say goodbye...

Even though 2012 will be gone in just a few hours, the memories of this year will forever remain in my heart. Incase you missed them, here are the highlights of my 2012.

January - I took a shot at homeschooling the boys. It failed, but at least now I won't spend my life wondering "What if?"

May - I turned 29, making this the last year in my 20's. BIG SAD FACE :(

June - I found my brother and sister on Facebook, giving me two sisters, one brother, two nieces, and three nephews!!! :)

July - I started working at The Excel Center. I also got to meet my sister for the first time!!!

September - Robbie started attending Liberty Christian School, the BEST decision I ever made for him! :)

December - Travis and I celebrated our three-year anniversary. I also met my brother and sister-in-law for the first time on the 8th, then went back to spend Christmas with them!!!

  

After such an amazing 2012, how can 2013 ever compare? I guess only time will tell. 

What were the highlights of your 2012? Feel free to comment below!

Blessed by Him,

Adrienne

Christmas Blessings

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

That's right, I'm talking about Christmas!!! The time where you get together with family and friends to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. 

This year was very special because I got to spend it with someone very dear to me: my brother! Some of you know that I just found him and my sister on Facebook a few months ago. The last time I saw him, he was 1, I was 7. That was 22 years ago! My husband and I went to meet him and his wife a few weeks ago and we had a blast! We were able to come back for Christmas, and it was such a blessed experience. Not only did I get to see him, my sister-in-law (I really don't like the word "in-law", but I didn't want to confuse anyone), and their beautiful daughter (my niece), but I also got to see my brother's mom (we are half-siblings), who I remembered as a caring, compassionate woman. Seeing and talking with her on Christmas confirmed that my memory was right. In fact, she was even more awesome than I remember!

I also got to see my brother's other siblings, who I remember from when I was 7. I actually went to school with his sister and we were good friends. It was great to see her again! I really enjoyed the reunion, as well as meeting new people. I am thankful that God brought us together again and allowed us the chance to form a sibling bond. I know there are many who will never get that chance, and my heart aches for them. I have been there, and I know the pain of knowing you have family out there that you may never see. To those who are in this situation, all I can say is PRAY! I prayed for years and years, hoping that one day God would answer my prayer, and he finally did. He IS listening!

Yes, Christmas is a wonderful time. Not only did I get to celebrate Jesus' birth this year, but I got to do it with people who love him as much as I do. And for that, I will rejoice! Here is a pic of my brother, his mom, and me.

Blessed by Him,

Adrienne

Thanksgiving

Food...Fun...Family...Friends...Did I mention FOOD?

Over the years, Thanksgiving has slowly become one of my favorite holidays. Growing up, it was viewed as just a day where you get together with other people and eat until your stomach hurts. We never prayed, never thought about WHY we were celebrating. I grew up not really understanding the true meaning of this special day. It wasn't until 2009 (when I got with my husband), that I really began to see why Thanksgiving is a day to truly celebrate. 

Travis and I made a small feast in 2009 and 2010. In 2011, we attended a community feast in our neighborhood. Even though those events were fun, they can never compare to this year. Travis and I (and our boys) worked together to make a nice big dinner. Oh, and by the way, this was the first time I've made pumpkin pie. Granted, the pie came from a can, but still, I had to mix it with other ingredients and pour it into the crust myself! That can be considered "from scratch", right? ;) 

Travis had a "first" this year too. He made some delicious deviled eggs (not in the picture), and they were amazing! I think I had maybe one or two (or ten). I love cooking with my husband, and I love when we do "firsts" together. It makes for a wonderful bonding experience. 

We invited a couple friends over and had a great time. We asked God to bless the food, and enjoyed the company of friends (including Jesus). All in all, it was a great day, and one that I will remember for a lifetime. Here is a picture of our wonderful feast! Maybe next year, YOU can join us! :)

Blessed by Him,

Adrienne

Robbie at Liberty Christian

Robbie got accepted into Liberty Christian School. He starts Tuesday. I'm so excited! I really feel that this will be a good fit for him. I can never seem to find enough time throughout the week to teach him about God, so now I can feel better knowing that while I'm at work he'll be learning in a Christian environment. Right now, it seems as though he's nervous to talk about God in public school, and when I tried to pray with him outside his classroom, he tried to hurry me up. It was almost as if he was embarrassed, which made me really sad. I don't want him to be ashamed to pray. At Liberty, the students and staff pray together every morning before class starts. It's a school-wide prayer. I love it! Maybe now he'll actually like praying and won't feel embarrassed. 

Also, when the Principal did his placement test Saturday morning, he scored at the 3rd grade level for Math, but a beginning 5th grade level for Reading! It was actually stated as "a 4th grader in the 9th month of school", but if you think about that, there's only nine months of school. So basically he's reading the same as a 4th grader who just finished the 4th grade and is getting ready to go into 5th (after summer break). He just started 3rd grade so I'm super proud of him for being such a great reader! My little man is growing up to be such a wonderful person, and I couldn't be happier.

Robbie's 8th Birthday!!! :)

Today is Robbie's birthday. I can't believe he's already 8! Where did the time go? He got to go with me to work today as a special treat. It was fun! I told him he no longer needs to sit in his booster seat, but he's still in it, LOL. I think he's gotten so used to it that he doesn't want to give it up. Maybe tomorrow!