Sermon

Dave Gunnlaugsson gave a GREAT sermon this morning. What is your portion? Is the Lord enough for you? It made me think about alot of things in my life. Thanks Lord for giving this message to us throught Dave. The scripture was from Lamentations 3:21-26.

Stitched By T

Well, I was told today that I need to Blog again. I finally got it working. Horray!

Anyway, not to much to write about today...Ethan had a GREAT christmas. He made out like a bandit from the grandma's and grandpa's. My favorite moment was Christmas morning and he told his Papa Art, "you can have my candy cane of m&m's Papa"-- it was so cute. He's such a great kid.

Stitched By T

Test message

Ouch that hurts!

Today E and I had to go pick up daddy from work, as his van his getting rust repairs. On our way to Woodbury, Ethan says "Mom, your my hero." I said, "thanks baby, what about daddy", to this he replied, "nope, daddy's not a hero".

Ouch -- Poor Bri!

Your my hero babe!

Good Christian fiction

I've just completed book 2 in the series "Sister Circle" by Vonette Bright and Nancy Moser. What a great mental mini getaway they have been. Thank you God for giving me the gift of loving to read.

Back from the Sound

Well..I returned Sunday back from the Puget Sound. What a beautiful place to live. My dad's side of the family had a family reunion out in Washington state. It was fun seeing family members that didn't know I was coming.

Top three moments of my trip:

1. Hitting golf balls of the cliff of my Great uncles back yard into the puget sound (then going and collecting them during low tide).

2. Taking a ferry ride (with our car) for the first time.

3. Catching salmon jerky at Pike's Place Market.

It's good to be home. Ethan is finally talking to me again for being gone for so long!

Banner Day

E used the BIG potty today! Very first time, I missed it though he was at the sitters big thanks to you Debb!

What a glorious day.

No more diapers is in the forseeable future. I cannot wait!

Happy Happy Joy Joy!

Prayer Needed

I just received a call from my mom and her brother, Bob, called her tonight and told her he only has 5 months to live. He is only 54. Is is also not a Christian. We don't know exactly what's wrong, just that he is not well.

Thanks friends, for your prayers!

God Bless you!

Didn't expect that

Bri and I took E to the MN Zoo yesterday. He saw the zebras, the sharks and even went to the petting zoo at the farm. After we were home, Bri asked E what his favorite part of the zoo was. He said "the poop".

Deal of the Month

So, my sister is getting married in 10 days, and I needed to find a dress for the wedding. I went to David's Bridal too look at the colors of the bridal party so I wouldn't clash. I pick out three dresses, pale yellow, lavendar and a deep plum. I fell in love with the yellow one right away but after trying it on wasn't thrilled with the fit. Then, I tried on the lavendar dress and loved it, but was concerned that it would clash with the candy red of the bridesmaid dresses. So then, I tried on the plum one.

IT WAS THE ONE! I just loved it--the fit, the color and everything.

I went up to the counter to pay for it and took out my checkbook while the sales lady bagged the dress. She said, "that will be $29.99 please" I had to do a double take at the price tag, "really, I said the price says $59.99," and she said "I know it's another 50% off".

I did the happy dance of joy! What a deal. Anyway enough of my boring "blog".

God's blessings to you all today!

Butt

While I was putting on E's shoes this afternoon he asked me "Where's my butt mom?" I said, "I don't know E, where's your butt"? He responded..."I'm sitting on it!"

Calgon

I am having a "calgon take me away" morning...I love E, but he is VERY winey this morning....of course he is...it's a weight watchers meeting day. He is always cranky when I have to go there. UGH Calgon, Take me Away!

E, PLEASE STOP WINING!

Father, please give me have loads and loads of patience today.

Amen

Question

What is black and white and red all over?

bear in the house

Woke up yesterday morning and Bri and I were listening to the kiddo sleep over the baby monitor. A strange noise was coming from his room. I realized that E was snoring---not just little sounds...a full out SNORE! I didn't realize that sleeping toddlers could make such a noise.

Well...I found out who was snoring...

It must have been the bear...not my sweet little boy.

Lost

Well, I stepped on the scale this morning and received a pleasant surprise. 222.2. That is down 10 pounds in the past 3 weeks, since starting ww and curves. I think I have sweated off 5 pounds in the last 2 days alone.

Looking forward to the day when I can type 199. It's been a LONG time since I've been under 200.

Verse of the day: Philippians 4:13 NIV
I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

My prayer for the day:
Dear Jesus - Thank you for my successes and failures. Please help me to continue to look to you for support in this adventure of my life. I want to be a healthier wife, mom and friend. Thank you for being so good to me. I love you Lord!

Singing

We have been going to a weekly music class for the past 9 weeks, and E has discovered the joy of singing. My joy? Listening to him try to keep himself awake at night by signing. What is the song you might wonder? Ring Around the Rosey.

The kicker is that E didn't learn that song at music class but at swimming class. I love it!

Thank you, God, for everything! Especially for our little E!

Reading a new book

I am reading this great book by Elizabeth George, "The Remarkable Women of the Bible". It is so good. Right now I am reading about Sarah...what a strong and wonderful woman of faith.

"As you trust in the Lord ... again and again ... remember that just like Sarah, you live your life in God's constant and powerful presence...remember that you are NEVER alone!

Above you are God's overshadowing wings - Psm. 91:4
Beneath you are God's everlasting arms -Duet. 33:27
Around you the angel of the Lord encamps on all sides to deliver you - Psm. 34:7
Inside you God's peace that passes all understaning guards our heart and mind - Philippians 4:7

Froggy Soap

I couldn't hear Ethan this morning so I went to investigate and found him in his bathroom. We had purchased some "Kandoo" soap a few weeks ago and I had forgotten about it, so when I found Ethan this morning he was "washing his hands". "Wacha doing stinkerdoodles", I asked? "I want the frog soap mom, I want the frog soap to wash my hands", he replied. Needless to say there was soap everywhere...on the toilet, on the sink and and the floor. But it did smell like green apples!

I have to say I look forward to what Ethan discovers each day. I just LOVE being a mom.

Thank you God for this wonderful gift in my life.

Surprise revealed

So the big surprise:

Ethan was looking out the window and watching and waiting....and from around the corner who showed up?


READY?






Darth Vader. Ethan said "Oooooh, Darth Vader" It was my father-in-law dressed up in a helmet and mask. When he rang the doorbell and came in the sound effects were cool. Ethan and his friend Matthew were pretty leary and freaked out until they Charlie took off the mask. It was very FUNNY and I got it all on tape.

So it wasn't a BIG HUGE surprise, but well worth the wait.

Surprises

So today is going to be a day of surprises.

Ethan's friends Matthew and baby Peter are coming over for the morning while their mommy goes on a field trip with sister Maya's school. Now they are waiting as patiently as a 2 and 3 year old can in Ethan's room looking out the front window for a surprise that is coming for Ethan.

Don't know what it is--just that Ethan's Papa Charlie is coming up. But I have specific instructions to have Ethan looking out the window at 10:15 am and to have the video camera ready. HMMMMMM--it better be more than a basketball for all the drama this is causing...HA.

Brian knows what the surprise is--but I don't. I feel like a little kid on Christmas Eve.

Will let you know what's going on....

Link for Mary

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stitchedbyt/

Try that one Mary!

Stitched By T is stitchin' for a cure

SPINAL MUSCULAR ATROPHY

On April 22, 2006, we Ronningen's went to the 2nd annual Lindsey Ronningen pancake breakfast benefit to help raise money for the horrible disease SMA (Spinal Muscular Atrophy). Did you know that:

• SMA is the #1 Genetic Killer of Children under the Age of 2?
• Of Children Diagnosed Before Age 2, 50% Will Die Before Their 2nd Birthday?
• 1 in 40 people carries the gene that causes SMA
• There is No Cure
• 1 in Every 6000 Babies are Born w/SMA Each Year

My husband, Brian (type 2) has it, and our niece Lindsey(type 1) died from it when she was only 10 months old--for more informaiton on SMA visit: www.fsma.org.

Anyway, April 22, I sold $600 worth of baby quilts, crocheted baby sweaters and knitted washcloths. 100% of all proceeds went directly to FSMA to help find a cure.

A VERY SPECIAL THANKS to:

Carolyn Jewell, Mary Schettle, Dawne Roby, Kristin Gray, Charlene Sackett, Margaret Sames and my mommy (Linda Van Der Werf). Thanks for all of your hard work and time in making baby quilts. I love you all so much for this.

Many thanks from the WHOLE Ronningen clan.

EXCITING NEWS TODAY!

I am shipping off my first (Stitched By T) official email order today--8 newly knitted washcloths. This makes me VERY happy! Who knows where God is going to take me on this new adventure.

So if any of you are in need of anything (Stitched Together for Infants Toddlers Children or Home) please email at stitchedbyt@hotmail.com. 10% of all proceeds will go to FSMA.

Because A Little Bug went Ka-Choo

So this is my very first blog and what I have to say concerns a little bug. I have read this Dr. Seuss club book for the hundredth time to my little E this morning. It is his favorite. He even does little actions that his daddy taught him..."ka--choo", "grrrr" and "the bucket got stuck on the head mom, the bucket got stuck on the head". Tee hee.

I secretly love reading this book with him. It reminds me of when I kept asking my Grandma (mom's mom) to read me "Fox in Sox" (another Dr. Seuss book) whenever she came to visit me from California. One particular visit she made my mom hide my favorite book so she wouldn't have to read it. She HATED this particular book with a great passion. But being the genius 2nd grader that I was, after she arrived and found out that my beloved book was no where to be found. It just happened to be library day at school, so I did what any desperate reader would do: I checked it out from the library! Boy did mom and gramma laugh hard when I came home...needless to say, gramma did finally read my book. Too bad this moment of geniusness (gee is that a real word) didn't last into my adulthood. I guess it did since last mother's day I game my mom a copy of "Fox in Sox" to read to my little E. She laughed.

Anyway...here's to all the mothers in the word....it's truly an honor to be part of such a elite group.

God's blessings on all today.

Side note: Ah....my little Ethan was concerned that I needed a pillow for me to rest on so he went and retrieved his from his bed a put in behind me in my chair so I could be more comfortable. What a great kid, he's only 2!