Friday, August 24, 2012

What a Week!

Photo: A rare moment of quiet from two very active girls.
Zoey and her friend is a rare moment of quiet during a long afternoon of play.

This has been a week-- a crazy week. We have been fighting sickness, while beginning preschool, and helping out some friends too. I feel exhausted and ready to sleep for an entire day. However, I will instead take a sip of hot tea and try to make sense of this erratic week.

Preschool is going well. Zoey is enthusiastic about it and I am having a blast watching her learn. This week we were distracted by a cold that has now reached the entire family, but we still learned some fun things. We covered the letter "A" and colored lots of alligators. Zoey also pointed to and named many other words that started with "A." We also began some pre-writing sheets to help her get control over her marks to eventually begin to write letters. She does really well with this, but I am having trouble getting her to hold her pencil correctly. We also focused on the bible story of creation. She liked the part where God created the fish and birds and then when he created all the animals.

Thankfully, none of us got really sick. It was simply that head cold, stuffy nose, I don't want to do anything but sit here sick. I think I am getting it last so hopefully we will all be back to our silly selves by next week.

I read two books this week. Unfortunately I wouldn't recommend either of them to you. The first book was "Fallen in Love" by Lauren Kate (book 3.5 in the Fallen series.) I love the series, but this particular book was a collection of stories for each character. I thought it was lacking and unneeded. I am looking forward to reading the last book in the saga though, "Rapture." The second book I read was "Fifty Shades of Grey" by E.L. James. I have no idea what the hype was about. I didn't like it. It is horribly written and the story is lacking at best. You can read my review of it on "Goodreads."




Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Love Like Jesus

photo credit
Jesus is love. I believe most Christians can agree on that. He represents love in the most real sense. Not only did he protray the best of humanity's capability of love on earth, but he also depicts God the Father's unlimited, merciful love. Jesus loves believers as much as non-believers. He loves saints as much as sinners. He has the capacity to over power any temptation or sin with love.

As Christians, we are to walk in Jesus' footsteps, to strive to be more like the perfect example God sent to us.

"For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps" 1 Peter 2:21.

photo credit
So why do we refuse to love others as Jesus does?

It seems like such an easy thing, to love. Most of the time we have no problem loving our family, our kids, perhaps loving a friend that we like to spend time with. But what about loving those we don't get along with. What about loving that co-worker who gives us a hard time, or the acquaintance who always tries to be better than you, or the one who doesn't share you opinion on any matter. Let's take it one step more. What about loving those people who steal, who have abortions or who live a way different from yours. All of a sudden it isn't so easy to love is it?

But Jesus did.

photo credit
Jesus loved sinners because they were still God's creation. He loved prostitutes, he dined with thieves and he even anointed a tax collector as a disciple.

"But God showed his great love to us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners" Romans 5:8.

Inviting a thief to dinner does not mean I will begin to steal. Hugging a prostitute does not mean I will begin to work the streets. Doing these things does not even mean I condone the behavior--which I don't. However, it does mean I put my judgment in God's hands and continue to love the person behind the sin as Jesus did.

"Do not judge other, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. And why worry about a speck in  your friend's eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, 'Let me help yo get rid of that speck in your eye,' when you can't see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend's eye." Matthew 7:1-5
photo credit
In my devotional series "Beautiful Battle," I am exploring the idea of spiritual battle. Mary DeMuth states my opinion splendidly in her novel which my series is based on...

"And we give sin more power when we name it, focus on it, and forget about Jesus' power to overcome it" (DeMuth p53, "Beautiful Battle.")

Jesus is the one who resisted all temptation from Satan. Jesus is the one who sacrificed himself, the perfect lamb to cover the sins of all humanity. Jesus is the one who went to the grave and rose again to strip all authority away from Satan and doom him to the fiery lakes. Jesus has the power to overcome sin. By focusing on the Savior the details Satan holds so dear falls away. The cycle of judging others is one of Satan's many tricks to come between us and the outstanding power and love of Jesus.

"For Christ must reign until he humbles all his enemies beneath his feet. And the last enemy to be destroyed is death. For the Scriptures say, "God has put all things under his authority"...Then, when all things are under his authority, the Son will put himself under God's authority, so that God, who gave his Son authority over all things, will be utterly supreme over everything everywhere." 1 Corinthians 15:24-28

photo credit
It is not always easy to love. It is difficult to look beyond the hurt someone has bestowed on you. It is complicated to look beyond someone's life choices to relate to the soul. It is challenging to relate to someone  who is completely different than you. However, that is our call. We are summoned to forgive sins, to counsel and reassure, to teach and comfort. Above all we are meant to love, as strongly and openly as Jesus did.

"I am not overstating it when I say that the man who caused all the trouble hurt all of your more than he hurt me. Most of you opposed him, and that was punishment enough. Now, however, it is time to forgive and comfort him. Otherwise he may be overcome by discouragement. So I urge you now to reaffirm your love for him." 2 Corinthians 2:5-8.

photo credit
This is not an easy charge. We are not perfect. As humans, we falter, we sin, we fall short of the glory of God. The beauty is, Jesus is right there picking us up, brushing us off, forgiving our sins and sometimes literally carrying us forward. Love is a powerful thing. It is so strong that it can lift someone up and tear someone down at the same time. To love one that the world tells you to hate is hard. Jesus shows us the way, he whispers inspiration and strength into our hearts. All we have to do if focus on him and let Satan and  the outside world fade away. All we have to do is love like Jesus. It is as simple and as difficult as that.

"A new command I give you! Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." John 13:34.

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Wordless Wednesday: Bug Eyes *Linky*


Bug Eyes

Tales From A Mother - Wordless Wednesday




Too Much (Forgotten Poetry)

As I was organizing and going through some old piles (finally!) I came across this poem I wrote...

Too Much

Sometimes I'm mad,
but I love too much to hate.

Sometimes I'm tired,
but not in a way that needs sleep.

Sometimes I'm sick,
but nothing medicine can heal.

Sometimes I'm busy,
but have nothing to do.

What do you do,
when you don't know what to do?

Where do you go,
when you want to be in a crowd alone?

How do you manage,
when you don't even know the words?

When do you say,
I am me again?

Amanda McCusker
5-30-10

The funny thing about writing is that many of the issues you deal with come back around again. I could have written this poem today and it mean the same thing. I feel all of these emotions right now. 

May of 2010 was the year after Zoey was born. I'm sure I was dealing with a bit of cabin fever since that was my first year staying home with Zoey. She wasn't even a year old yet (about 9 months old) so I'm sure I was dealing with her transitions. Thankfully, she would have been already sleeping through the night. However, I remember not being able to sleep very well for a few months even after Zoey began sleeping all night in her own room. 

These are just guesses, I'm not one hundred percent sure what I was dealing with at that moment of my life. The important thing is -- I got through it. The fact that I can't recall the details behind this poem prove that I was able to work through what ever was troubling me triumphant.

Finding this poem is a sign. It shows me that I have been down this road before. I know I have strengthened in spirit, trust, love and knowledge of Jesus. I didn't have any doubts, but it proves that I will be victorious in my spiritual battles. 

Monday, August 13, 2012

Getting Ready for Homeschool!


I am so excited about doing homeschool preschool with Zoey. She is excited too. She looks at the shelves where all of the activities and supplies are set up and says, "For preschool."

Next week begins homeschool for us. I love the flexible schedule. This week is a major prep week for us. Zoey is having a birthday party for all of her friends (and ours) in the area on Saturday. Which she is also very excited about. Then preschool will begin the next Monday. I have a lot to get done.

Zoey drawing on the table we will use for homeschooling most of the time.

There are still many details I have to prepare for our homeschool, but I have the major look down. I have a shelf (a re-purposed baker's rack) that holds the majority of our school supplies including our workbooks and some crafts. She has a pencil box for pencils and one for crayons. We also have buckets for markers, glue/scissors and stamps. All of the other crafts supplies, including paints, are tucked away in the buckets. I have my workbooks and lesson plans at the ready as well as lots of extra paper and construction paper for spontaneous creations.

The table set up of our homeschool station. Everything at our fingertips!

I am still working on getting the morning planner set up, but I do have the weather board up. I will add a calender and a countdown at least. It will be where we start our day to discuss what we are going to do that day. I also have a large whiteboard that will be part of this activity that I have to add hangers to so I can add it as well.

A baker's rack transformed into a house for school
supplies. All our crafts are in the buckets.

The biggest project I need to work on, besides continuing my lesson plans past the first week or two, is setting up the crafts before the lesson. I know most traditional teachers have to do this step to accommodate many children in a class. I'm sure most homeschooling parents also have this set up easily. For some reason, this is one of my weak points. I have all the materials prepared and even the worksheets, but getting the necessary crafts set aside ahead of time is something I am going to have to focus on.

The weather chart to begin our morning planner.
The rest will be added this week.

Our homeschool preschool includes all of these wonderfully made plans and projects. But I believe one of the most important things we can teach our children is about how we live. Our "schooling" won't just be at a table. I plan to adventure outside, encourage Zoey to cook, clean and play with me. We also add a lot of multimedia to our day, including educational TV and even video games. These are wonderful ways to learn that Zoey already loves. We will also add a biblical portion to our homeschooling. We will read and study stories from the bible and learn how to include those lessons into life.

Learning goes beyond the school room and includes all of life and play.

I am very excited for our homeschool preschool. I can't wait to begin and see what all we can accomplish this year. Zoey is also very excited. She is the reason I began this endeavor in the first place. She has a true love for learning. I wanted to harness that in a focused as well as play environment. I hope to keep that love of learning alive forever really. I still have that itch to learn and grow, which is why I am so excited about homeschool as well. It will be a wonderful adventure for both of us!


Not Back to School Blog Hop

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Ezekiel (Bible in 90 Days)

photo credit

Ezekiel was another great man of God. He preached God’s judgment and salvation his entire life. But even more than that, he lived what he preached.

Many of Ezekiel’s messages were dramatic object lessons that God called him to illustrate: lying on his side for 360 days and only eating one 8 ounce meal a day that was cooked over manure, shaving his head and beard and showing no sorrow when his wife died. These are extreme ideas, but Ezekiel obeyed God’s instructions.

photo credit

Ezekiel also preached of God’s judgment on the country’s indifference and idoltry. He prophecized the fall of Jerusalem like many other prophets of the time.

Ezekiel does not end in despair. He tells of God’s faithfulness to his people and the future blessings to those who believe. Ezekiel challenges God’s people to not remain idol, but to repent and turn back to God and His limitless love and salvation.

“Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God.” Ezekiel 11:20

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Ready for Fall... *Pinterest Linky*

I could get lost for days inside of Pinterest. Today, I have emerged just long enough to share some of my favorite Pinteresting things for this week...

1. Cake Batter Fudge

photo credit

There is no reason to hide my extreme fondness of cake batter. The idea of putting that into fudge is almost too much. Not to mention it is a beautiful creation. My mouth is watering to try this wonderful idea. Find the recipe HERE.

2. Crock Pot Loaded Baked Potato Soup 

photo credit

I am so excited for fall and the weather to cool down. My favorite things to cook in the winter and cool months are soups and chilies. Loaded baked potatoes are a weak point of mine. I am so excited to try this recipe this fall that combines Loaded baked potatoes into soup. "It's What's For Dinner..." has this amazing recipe and more!

3. Pumpkin Spice Latte

photo credit

Pumpkin Spice is one more of my favorite fall treats. It is the one time of the year that you will find me at coffee shops again and again. I love the idea of making my favorite warm beverage at home. Farmgirl Gourmet has this and many other wonderful ideas!

4. Shadow Box Keepsakes

photo credit

I want to keep lots of Zoey's toys and clothing because it is special to me. She has so many little collections and yes hot wheels cars too. I want to be able to remember at least a little bit, all of the things Zoey was into. This is a great way to do that. Especially with all of the hot wheels cars floating around the house. "Work in Progress" has many other great ideas, check it out!

5. Mommy Brain

photo credit

This is me in a nutshell this week. I feel like I have been spaced out and frazzled all week. I am going to use this...I just traded in my brain cells for children. It would explain a lot!

I love reading other ideas as much as I love to share my own. If you have any Pinterest posts or just interesting ideas at all link them here!




Friday, August 10, 2012

L.I.F.E.


photo credit

L is for Love

"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." 

1 Corinthians 13:13

photo credit

I is for Influence

"You are the light of the world--like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father." 

Matthew 5:14-16

photo credit

F is for Faith

"Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation. By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God's command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen." 

Hebrews 11:1-3

photo credit



E is for Energy


"Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen." 

1 Peter 4:11

friday favorite things | finding joy

Thursday, August 9, 2012

It Will Happen in Time

photo credit
I am one of those people who always want to have it together. This doesn't mean that I never make mistakes or put my foot in my mouth; it just means I want to be prepared when it happens. I am a planner, I always have been. Since I have somehow crossed over into adulthood, I've done a lot better at going with the flow, but I still try to plan for the unplanned--as if that we even possible.

Lately, I haven't been able to think properly. I went to write my post today, a well crafted, possible controversial post that has been on my mind for a while, and I couldn't even put two words together. I feel frazzled, I keep forgetting what I'm doing, I have a ton of things to do and I am having trouble mustering the motivation to finish one of them.

I have been praying on this and the one thing that keeps coming up is "it will happen in time." This has been the statement for almost all of my questions:

"Will we have more kids?" --"It will happen in time."

"Will I ever feel normal again?"  --"It will happen in time."

"Will I ever get the house back to the state it was (or preferably better than it was) before vacation?" --"It will happen in time."

I hope that last one happens before we have a party in another week and before homeschooling starts the week after that.

I am impatient. You can add that to the list of things to work on. (It's a long list).

But what is worse right now is my emotions. They are all over the place. I am being snarky and short, things that I usually avoid easily. I feel like I can conquer the world one minute and then like I am buried under a mountain of things to do and confusing emotions.

I came to the realization last night, that this miscarriage is hitting harder than I remember the other ones being. Perhaps because this time I have given up the thought of having more kids (at least for now) and that changes my whole view of the future. Perhaps just because this miscarriage was harder on my body and I am too impatient to allow myself recovery time. Perhaps there are still just so many hormones raging that I am just a blubbering mess more often than not.

I'm not sure about all of these things. I just wanted to be honest because it is something I needed to write out. It just so happens that I have this awesome network of other moms and friends that are great support in times of the unknown.

I am okay. I really am. I just need to be a little more patient. Everything will happen as it should and everything will return to normal. And we are going to have a beautiful, exciting life.

"It will happen in time."

Have you ever had to wait something out? Have you ever been so excited to do something or feel something that the waiting feels pained? What did you do while you waited? I'd love to hear from you.

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Miscarriage Completion and Musings on Life

My miscarriage is done, complete, finished--finally. I am so thankful! We had our last Ob-gyn appointment yesterday, which confirmed that the miscarriage completely passed. As soon as I rest up some over the next few days I should be back to normal.

photo credit
Wow, what a relief. I knew exactly when it all passed as anyone who has had a miscarriage would understand. However, I didn't truly feel the relief fully until we confirmed it with the doctor. When the miscarriage was detected, our doctor inadvertently scared me with having to get a D&C, a surgery that would clean out my uterus. I am a very natural person. I would rather go through the pain than any kind of surgery or anesthesia. This is one of the reasons for my all-natural birth when my daughter was born. It is a huge relief to be on the other side of that possibility.

The thing that gets me with this pregnancy is that there was never a baby. I had a blighted ovum, which means that a baby never formed or was ever going to form in the embryonic sac. With my first two miscarriages I had a peace that the babies, though they died in the womb, were in heaven helping others, seeing God and waiting for us to meet them. (I recommend you read "Heaven is For Real" by Todd Burpo if you haven't already.) However, with this miscarriage, I don't know if that thought is still true. I want to believe that there is some presence for the child I'll never have, but it seems unlikely.

It really questions at what point does a baby truly become a life. Most Christians say it is at the point of conception. If that is the case then there is a presence there, even if there was never a baby formed. However, that is difficult to wrap my head around. There was no heartbeat to indicate life, so is it possible that life indeed exist?

More likely, life begins as the heart begins to pump blood, bringing the soul to life. For most pregnancies that is very early on, within two to three weeks after conception. In other words, the baby's heart would beat possibly before you even realized you were pregnant. Still I can't help but wonder, what does that mean for this particular pregnancy complication?

photo credit
I have an over all peace about this entire miscarriage. I thank God for staying with me through this whole ordeal. I am feeling the wonder of having an underlying joy in life. When nothing else seems to be going right, I still feel happy because even submersed in struggle I still have a strong perceptive so see my many blessings. Right now, that it is finally over, I am just glad to go back to living and enjoying all of my life.

I know everything happens for a reason. I have felt since the first miscarriage that I am meant to share these experiences and help others who go through similar struggles. I have more to say on this subject, but for right now, I am simply enjoying the relief that it is over.

What are you opinions on when a life is formed?

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Wordless Wednesday: Future Soccer Star? *Linky*


Future Soccer Star?






"Curiosity" Lands on Mars!

One of the first photos taken by Curiosity on Mars.
Photo credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
I have always been very interested in all things pertaining to space. One of my favorite trips was to the Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. I loved learning and experience the wonders of space. There is something magical about the mysteries beyond our world.

This week Nasa has achieved another milestone. "Curiosity," the new and improved Mars rover is ready for adventure! The one-ton vehicle was sent to explore Mars for the next two years to examine organic compounds, which will inform us whether life on Mars is possible. It will also study the Red Planet's geology to discover the content and formation process of the surface, investigate any water sources, and determine the spectrum of radiation. This information will allow scientists to learn more about Mars specifically, but also  more about our solar system as a whole and the potential of expanding our population beyond the boundaries of Earth.

There are 17 cameras on the Curiosity Rover
Photo credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Stephen and I debated about staying up to watch "Curiosity" land on Mars. However, between his work and a little girl who is going to be up and ready to go no matter how long I sleep, we decided to go to bed. I enjoyed a fun space walk dream though.

"Curiosity" is appropriately called the Mars Science Laboratory because it is a roving lab. The rover can collect and analyze information on site with its many enhanced tools. She landed Monday morning at 1:32 am EDT ready for her mission. The 36-week journey to reach Mars was a huge success. Thanks to satellites and communication from Curiosity, we experience a time delay of less than 15 minutes. Curiosity has already transmitted pictures and information download to begin her mission.

An excited and relieved crew celebrate the landing of Curiosity.
Photo Credit:  NASA/JPL-Caltech
I loved waking up to all the news about Curiosity and the first pictures from Mars. Within a few hours Curiosity had already proven herself. I'm sure the scientists and engineers at NASA and specifically the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, are very proud and excited about their accomplishment. I'm not connected or invested in the project and I am extremely excited about the possibilities this presents.

Curiosity represents exploration and hope that could expand and transform our thoughts about Mars and space in general. However, despite all of the scientific reasons and information it could give us, Curiosity is just really cool. I am excited as we learn more from Mars and what is beyond our world.

You can follow Curiosity on Twitter (#MSL) and NASA is a buzz with Curiosity Updates. Jet Propulsion Laboratory is also hosting a 3-D environment for the mission data called "Eyes on the Solar System." I also got a lot of information and interesting tid-bits thanks to Ask Science. Have I mentioned that this is all so cool?

What do you think? Have you or your kids found an interest in space? Did anyone stay up to watch the landing live?

Monday, August 6, 2012

Homeschool Preschool Planning

photo credit
This fall I am attempting to begin preschool at home with Zoey. I decided to do this for several reasons. First, Zoey has an amazing will to learn and create, so I want to give her space and direction to learn as much as she can during these important young years.  Secondly, we don't have the funds to send her to a preschool to meet, learn and play with other children. Thirdly, I love to learn and teach so I figured we could implement preschool at home and simply have story times and play dates as we would anyway.

I have been extremely excited about this endeavor. Back to school is my favorite shopping season, so this year I am buying school supplies to set up our preschool corner. I believe it is coming along nicely. Zoey is even getting into the spirit of school with new crayons, markers, pencils, a pencil case and picking out her own folders.


My biggest challenge is not finding material, it is trying to convince Zoey that I need to save some of the worksheets and activities for when preschool actually will begin. She is so interested in all of the school activities that she is ready to start right now. It is making it hard to plan any sort of lessons or a progress of information that will make any sense. I am so encouraged about her eagerness to learn, it makes the challenge of getting all the materials together worth it.

I'm not using any sort of pre-planned curriculum. We intend to allow Zoey to attend public school in a year or two when she will start, this is just to encourage her appetite for learning in the mean time. I am sorting through several great sources for homeschooling as well as several preschool workbooks to create my own lesson plans. I am having a lot of fun doing this, even if I have to focus on it primarily before Zoey wakes up or after she goes to bed.

photo credit

Here are a few of the resources I am using to create my own lesson plans:

ABC Jesus Loves Me--This Website focuses on Preschool that include Bible lessons into the curriculum. I enjoy teaching about the Bible stories and how they incorporate real emotions, lessons and a connection to God. The academic information is also very helpful. There is a laid out curriculum in which you can follow, but I prefer to use the knowledge and printouts as guidelines and inspiration. I add to, take away or even just use a few of the ideas. This is my go-to Site for pacing through the year. There is also a great explanation as to how to present homeschool as a whole, especially for the young age that includes preschoolers.

First School--This site is really good for printing worksheets and finding creative ideas. It is through this website that I decide on my themes for the week. For example, our first week we are focusing on the letter A and having an entire "ant" day where we do lots of ant activities.

Leap Frog--Zoey loves the Leap Frog series that teach letters and numbers. The Leap Frog Website also includes many printables, activity ideas and articles about how to teach concepts and skill assessments. It uses bright colors and the characters Zoey knows to teach using fun activities. I also recommend Leap Frog videos such as "The Amazing Alphabet Amusement Park," "Scout and Friends Phonics Numberland" or any of the other learning adventures.

I also find ideas through Disney Junior, Nick Jr, Pinterest, other mom and preschool blogs and simply searching Google. I will continue to update as our journey through homeschool preschool begins on August 20 and continues through the school season. I am very excited and so is Zoey. I intend to have fun above anything else and maybe learn a few things along the way.

miscellany monday at lowercase letters   

Not Back to School Blog Hop

Sunday, August 5, 2012

Lamentations (Bible in 90 Days)


Lamentations is written by Jeremiah as a look back on the fall of Jerusalem. It is a dirge, a funeral song. Jeremiah is weeping for the people who turned their back on God.

Jeremiah knew the destruction of Judah was coming, he spent his lifetime warning people of the imminent danger of disobeying God. The people didn’t listen, yet Jeremiah still weeped for them. He continually sets an example of the life God wants us to lead despite the rejection from society.

“The Lord is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord.” Lamentations 3:25-26

photo credit
Lamentations ends with Jeremiah’s plea for the restoration of Judah.

“Restore us, O Lord, and bring us back to you again! Give us back the joys we once had!” Lamentations 5:21

Saturday, August 4, 2012

Pinterest: Photo love and more!

These are some of my favorite Pinteresting things this week!

Follow Me on Pinterest

1. Mom's Gonna Snap

Clickin Moms
This is the perfect shirt for me. I almost always have a camera attached to my hand. I take so many pictures because I love it and I need the help remembering. This shirt made me smile. 

2. Scrapbooking

Scrapbooks, etc.

In the spirit of taking pictures, my next favorite thing is scrapbooking. Scrapbooking, etc. has a website full of great ideas and an awesome magazine too. (And no, no one is paying me to say that, I wish they would.) This layout stood out to me because it is bright, I love circles and I can display lots of pictures on one page. Scrapbooking is so much fun for me, I love being able to create and display the fun we always have.

3. Anniversary Photo

No Biggie
I've seen several different versions of this idea and it is one that I really like. We missed doing a picture in a picture for every year, but this year is our 5 year anniversary and we want to make it special. I feel like doing the picture in a picture idea might work for us every 5 years. 

4. Brownie Batter Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes

Kevin & Amanda
Um, yes please! This combines three of our family's favorite things: Brownies (Stephen), Cupcakes (Me) and Chocolate (Zoey). I believe this will be a winner at our house.

5. White House Salad

ivilliage 
This salad looks fresh, delicious and easy to make. I love cooking with fresh ingredients, especially fruits and vegetables. This is definitely a dish I am trying before summer ends. My mouth is already watering.

Hope you have some Pinteresting ideas too! I'd love to hear about them. Enjoy your weekend!