Multitude Monday

Counting 1,000 Gifts.....

358. The way her eyes crinkle when she smiles.
359. How she loves her daddy.
360. The laughter she shares with her sisters
362. How she fits in our family.

Thankful,

A Sweet Treat

Today I have the sweetest treat to be a guest barista at Internet Cafe Devotions. Awhile back, I took a step of faith and sent them a rework of a post I wrote here called I Need Thee Every Hour. To my surprise, they sweetly accepted and chose today to post it. You can read it by clicking here.

I also wanted to share a Sweet Treat with you. My friend Krystal made a cake last month for my birthday and put this amazing Peanut Butter Frosting on it. I knew from from the first bite that I wanted to share it with you. So this weekend, when you are doing your weekly shopping, pick up a cake mix, make this homemade frosting, and share it with your family and friends. They really will think you are the sweetest thing! (Or sit and eat it directly from the bowl while you are watching the new BBC version of Emma...another sweet thing you will love!)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/3 cup cream

Directions

1. In a large bowl, beat butter and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Slowly beat in 1/2 of the confectioner's sugar. Mix in 1/4 cup of the cream. Beat in the remaining confectioners' sugar. If necessary, add a little more cream or milk until the frosting reaches a good spreading consistency. Makes enough to frost one 2 layer 9 inch cake or one 9x13 inch cake.

***Recipe taken from AllRecipe.com

Looking Forward,

Social Graces

In his newly published Bringing Up Girls, Dr. James Dobson writes:

A girl who has been trained properly is never completely

knocked off balance when she is in an unfamiliar circumstance.

She knows what is expected of her and how to deal with it. Her sense of self

worth is reinforced by the way adults react to her charm, poise,

and grace. For the mother who wants to give her daughter a

head start in life and help her compete socially, this is a great place to begin.

I love the thought that if I train them well, my girls will not be knocked of balance when they are in an unfamiliar circumstance. Isn't that a beautiful picture? What a gift to give my girls.

All good training, teaching social graces included, is a daily - (constant) endeavor. It requires direct training, setting a good example and sneaking in good object lessons as well. I am excited about a new book that I found recently that is going to the top of our read aloud books.

What I love about this book is that it uses stories from literature to illustrate manners. Remember, story is a pull strategy? I often say to my 4 year old, "Are you acting like The Beast, or a Beauty?" This instantly gives her a visual and gentle reminder from me to correct her behavior.

What about you? How do you teach social graces to your children? Today, the Homeschool Village is having a blog carnival and you can see how other parents are doing just that!

Looking Forward,

P.S. The MODsquad Blog is coming July 5! I am super excited to be part of this amazing blog for Mother's of Daughters. Follow us on twitter @modsquadmoms or find us on Facebook so you don't miss anything.

Words To Live By

"Almost any of us can be heroic, even daring in the midst of great excitement.
But it takes a much more steadfast faith in our Father to stay true in the
quiet place where He puts us. It is in the daily duties of our little lives where
God asks us to be loyal, steady friends --
people who will perform their part without fanfare, those who can
be trusted implicitly to do their duty."
Lessons From A Sheepdog, page 44

Looking Forward,

P.S. My friend Megan is sewing her way to Relevant 1o! She makes adorable zippy bags like this one I won from Layton Family Joy:

As well as super cute bags to hold business cards and Bible verses! She also is part of the group of women I have the pleasure of launching the MODsquad blog with on July 5! Check out her business at Halfpint House - and order some cute bags today!!!

Chair Time

I was honored this past weekend to guest post for my friend Megan at The Tuckers Take Tennessee. After praying about what I could share, I felt led to continue my story and write about the legacy I want to leave my children. I hope you will join me there, and read about why I need a small group of women in my life. Also, please take the time to say hi to Megan and thank her for inviting me to share my heart! Just click on the button below:

Looking Forward,

Multitude Monday

Counting 1,000 Gifts....

330. Mike loves the Lord and serves Him with His life.
331. He spends time with the girls.
332. He works hard so I can stay home.
333. He supports me as their teacher.
334. He loves being a dad of girls.
335. He listens to countless words.
336. He doesn’t complain about back to back ballet recitals.
337. Saturday morning breakfast dates.
338. The humming song he sings for them.
339. He prays with them.
340. He is Super Daddy!

Thankful,

The Best Of....

A couple of weeks ago, I shared with you some of my favorites from around the blog world. The response from you was great! Here are a few more worthy finds...

The Best of Multitude Monday...

Jezamama made it to 1,000 gifts! I love that she calls herself a Gratitude Chaser. Isn't that a great picture of being thankful? Find her post about the finish line here: (best button too!)

Best Devotion on Friendship...

My sweet sister (in Christ) Kathleen texted me this link and with these words "Glad I'm fastened to you..." It made my day! Read this awesome devotion and text your girlfriend!

Best Summer List...

Do you have plans this summer? I found this idea for a Summer List from Kimba at A Soft Place To Land who got it from:

@Whatever
We made ours and it looks like this:

And look! There is room at the bottom to keep adding ideas as we discover them. I think it will help us have a great and purposeful summer.

Have a great Friday!